Migration And Migrant Identities In The Near East From Antiquity To The Middle Ages

This book brings together recent developments in modern migration theory, a wide range of sources, new and old tools revisited (from GIS to epigraphic studies, from stable isotope analysis to the study of literary sources) and case studies from the ancient eastern Mediterranean that illustrate how new theories and techniques are helping to give a better understanding of migratory flows and diaspora communities in the ancient Near East. A geographical gap has emerged in studies of historical migration as recent works have focused on migration and mobility in the western part of the Roman Empire and thus fail to bring a significant contribution to the study of diaspora communities in the eastern Mediterranean. Bridging this gap represents a major scholarly desideratum, and, by drawing upon the experiences of previously neglected migrant and diaspora communities in the eastern Mediterranean from the Hellenistic period to the early mediaeval world, this collection of essays approaches migration studies with new perspectives and methodologies, shedding light not only on the study of migrants in the ancient world, but also on broader issues concerning the rationale for mobility and the creation and features of diaspora identities.

With contributions from leading scholars in Southern Europe, this compelling book demonstrates the plurality of migratory circumstances and analyses the significance of the Mediterranean migration model. Highlighting the challenges of studying the variability and heterogeneity of migratory patterns in the Mediterranean, this insightful book provides a comprehensive examination of the variations of spatial-temporal scales and sedimentation of different migratory configurations.

In the 88 years between its establishment by the victorious armies of the First Crusade and its collapse following the disastrous defeat at Hattin, the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was the site of vibrant artistic and architectural activity. As the crusaders rebuilt some of Christendom's most sacred churches, or embellished others with murals and mosaics, a unique and highly original art was created. Focusing on the sculptural, mosaic, and mural cycles adorning some of the most important shrines in the Kingdom (such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, The Basilica of the Annunciation, and the Church of the Nativity), this book offers a broad perspective of Crusader art and architecture. Among the many aspects discussed are competition among pilgrimage sites, crusader manipulation of biblical models, the image of the Muslim, and others. Building on recent developments in the fields of patronage studies and reception theory, the book offers a study of the complex ways in which Crusader art addressed its diverse audiences (Franks, indigenous eastern Christians, pilgrims) while serving the intentions of its patrons. Of particular interest to scholars and students of the Crusades and of Crusader art, as well as scholars and students of medieval art in general, this book will appeal to all those engaging with intercultural encounters, acculturation, Christian-Muslim relations, pilgrimage, the Holy Land, medieval devotion and theology, Byzantine art, reception theory and medieval patronage.

The aim of this volume is to measure acceptance of, and resistance to, outside influences within Mediterranean coastal settlements and their immediate hinterlands, with a particular focus on the processes not reflecting simple commercial routes, but taking place at an intercultural level, in situations of developed connectedness.

One of the most significant challenges in archaeology is understanding how (and why) humans migrate. Homo Migrans examines the past, present, and future states of migration and mobility studies in archaeological discourse. Contributors draw on revolutionary twenty-first-century advances in genetics, isotope studies, and data manipulation that have resolved longstanding debates about past human movement and have helped clarify the relationships between archaeological remains and human behavior and identity. These emerging techniques have also pressed archaeologists and historians to develop models that responsibly incorporate method, theory, and data in ways that honor the complexity of human behavior and relationships. This volume articulates the challenges that lie ahead as scholars draw from genomic studies, computational science, social theory, cognitive and evolutionary studies, environmental history, and network analysis to clarify the nature of human migration in world history. With case studies focusing on European and Mediterranean history and prehistory (as well as global history), Homo Migrans presents integrated methodologies and analyses that will interest any scholar researching migration and mobility in the human past.

During the period 500–1000 CE Egypt was successively part of the Byzantine, Persian and Islamic empires. All kinds of events, developments and processes occurred that would greatly affect its history and that of the eastern Mediterranean in general. This is the first volume to map Egypt's position in the Mediterranean during this period. Drawing on a wide range of disciplines, the individual chapters detail its connections with imperial and scholarly centres, its role in cross-regional trade networks, and its participation in Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultural developments, including their impact on its own literary and material production. With unparalleled detail, the book tracks the mechanisms and structures through which Egypt connected politically, economically and culturally to the world surrounding it.