INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: Convergence of the Mediterranean, Università degli Studi di Salerno, Italy, 6-9 September 2011.
An international conference organized by the Department of Humanities of the Eastern Mediterranean University, the Department of Historical and Social Sciences of the University of Salerno, the UCSC Center for Mediterranean Studies (University of California Santa Cruz) and the Department of the History of Art “Trans Mediterranean Studies” (Bern University).
The Mediterranean, in various literatures, is perceived as infinite: A sphere of unseen possibilities. Both the sea and its shores are intractably connected and in constant flux. Whether the Mediterranean facilitates cultural and ethnic interplay, or whether we view it as a barrier that separates civilisations and traditions, a close study of Mediterranean economic exchange can be revealing. The history of transportation and commercial activities tells stories of man and culture; the nature of individuals and societies; problems inherent in shipping routes, and currencies. Commercial activity, for the purpose of this conference, is the method of mapping, reading and comprehending the Mediterranean world, and dialogue with societies beyond its internal shores.
The conference aims to be a platform of thought-provoking papers which explore the role of commerce, the function and space of exchange and the relevance of shipping routes across the ‘Mediterranean worlds’ during different historical periods.
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