The
Mediterranean Sea has been historically a seaway connecting the North and the
South, Orient and Occident. The crossroads of cultures over millennia, it has
shaped the character, composition, languages and cultural traditions of
Mediterranean societies. The modern seascapes are, thereby, the result of this
historical interaction.
Sessions
are invited to explore Trans-Mediterranean relations from a variety of
different perspectives and types of evidence: the nature of coastal
settlements, population, ports, ship and boats, trade and the circulation of
goods. Theoretical debates are
encouraged dealing with: identity, mobility, migration, navigation and
colonization as well as case studies from all periods and all Mediterranean
regions in Europe, Africa and Asia are welcome. A focus of discussion will also
be how these Mediterranean communities influenced each other in the past, and
sessions may also examine the influence of Mediterranean ecosystems on daily
life, subsistence and society in the past.