The article «From Fabrics to Island Connections: Macroscopic and Microscopic Approaches to the Prehistoric Pottery of Antikythera» by Areti Pendendeca, Evangelia Kyriatzi, Andrew Bevan and James Conolly focuses on the study of the prehistoric pottery of Antikythera, using a combination of macroscopic and microscopic methods of analysis. Published in 2010 in Annual of the British School at Athens, this study highlights the importance of pottery as a source of information about the geographical and cultural position of the island.
Antikythera, a small and isolated island in the Mediterranean, historically served as an important maritime hub between Crete, the Peloponnese and the Aegean. Although their geographical location is strategic, their prehistory was virtually unknown until the implementation of the Antikythera Archaeological Programme (ASP), which included intensive archaeological investigations throughout the island. The survey recorded some 6,500 pottery fragments, revealing important evidence of the island's prehistoric activity and cultural connections.
The study incorporates petrographic analyses, macroscopic classification and comparative methodologies to create a detailed ceramic profile. This profile sheds light on the production and distribution of pottery in Antikythera and explores their cultural interactions with neighbouring areas, such as Kythera and Crete, during the Neolithic and Bronze Age.
Facing challenges such as the lack of stratigraphic data from excavations and the complexity of surface survey finds, the authors show how innovative approaches can provide essential information on prehistoric pottery and its role in shaping networks and cultural exchanges between islands.
