The Balearic Paradox: Why Were the Islands Colonized So Late?

Research on Mediterranean islands has pushed the evidence for initial human presence backwardsin time, with 75% occupied by the 4th millennium BC. Yet data from the Balearics suggest that themost likely window for human arrival there is in the last half, and perhaps the final third, of the 3rdmillennium BC. We refer to this disparity as the “Balearic paradox”—why were these large islandscolonized so late? We contextualize the Balearic data, suggesting that “push” and “pull” factors wouldhave affected the willingness of mainland-based agropastoralists to undertake colonization endeavors.We consider the need for improved understanding of socioeconomic, environmental, and climaticfactors in likely colonist source areas.