The Balearic Islands: Prehistoric Colonization of the Furthest Mediterranean Islands from the Mainland

Abstract

The human colonization of islands was radically different in nature from the occupation of new territories by prehistoric communities on the mainland. The Balearics are the most isolated of all the Mediterranean islands and consequently they share many patterns with oceanic islands; thus their initial colonization has characteristics which in many respects are closer to that of the Pacific islands than to that of other Mediterranean islands. This conclusion stems from the study of models of human colonization, both in the larger Mediterranean islands (Cyprus, Crete, Corsica, Sardinia, Malta) and in smaller islands such as Pantelleria or Lampedusa, and comparison of these patterns with those of the first human colonization of the Pacific Islands. From examination of archaeological, palaeobotanical, and palaeontological data, we conclude that the colonization of the Balearic islands had two consecutive phases, each with different characteristics and a distinct palaeoecological impact. It is now clear that the model of the relationship between prehistoric people and indigenous Pleistocene fauna, proposed 30 years ago and hitherto accepted as valid, cannot be sustained in the light of recent research.

Who, Why, When, and Where From? The Peopling of the Canary Islands and the Challenges of Archaeometry

“…During a stage of frequent visitation, the first settlers would have begun the process of landscape learning via cultural adaptations (Dawson, 2014) leading towards establishment of permanent communities and potential colonization of natural resources. Insular settlement stages may, however, not be linear, resulting in multiple settlement attempts by different people (Guerrero Ayuso, 2001). Consequently, abandonment becomes a factor (Dawson, 2010), introducing complexity into the study of island peopling.…”

“…In using the categories by Guerrero Ayuso (2001) to discuss the phases of human settlement in the Canary Islands, I emphasize the differences between discovery or exploration, utilization, and settlement or colonization. Exploratory activities encompass purposeful, planned missions, followed by utilization, defined as ‘many, tentative, impermanent, short-distance reciprocal movements’ (Cherry, 1981: 60), preceding stable settlements.…”

“…Distinguishing between visitation and colonization is necessary to understanding the process involved in landscape exploitation. However, the often-limited archaeological material from these settlement stages presents a challenge (Broodbank, 1999; Guerrero Ayuso, 2001). In the Canary Islands, osteological evidence from exploration and/or utilization periods is scarce—or non-existent—compared to the extensive skeletal record found in permanent settlements and/or colonization contexts.…”

“…An additional characteristic of intensive human settlements is demographic stress (Guerrero Ayuso, 2001), also described by ethnohistory in the Canary Islands (Morales Padrón, 1978). Archaeological evidence from multiple silos throughout Gran Canaria (Ascanio-Padrón et al, 2004; Henríquez-Valido et al, 2019) confirms the presence of a large native population dependent on surplus.…”

Mitochondrial diversity patterns and the Magdalenian resettlement of Europe: new insights from the edge of the Franco-Cantabrian refuge

“…As a sidenote, in this study, the term 'Iberian' includes the Balearic Islands and the French Province of Béarn (Figure 1) because of their deep historical relationship. 71,72 Effective population sizes and private lineages in Iberia Estimates of sampling coverage, nucleotide and haplotype diversity, the y K parameter and the percentage of private lineages (K P ) for each population of the HVS-I data set can be found in Table 2. We obtained a positive and significant correlation r ¼ 0.683 (Po0.001) between y K and the number of private lineages for the whole HVS-I data set and r ¼ 0.649 (P ¼ 0.006) for only the Iberian regions.…”