Trading Places: Byzantium and the Mediterranean World in the Later Middle Ages

The Mediterranean basin has long been a zone of cultural, economic, and artistic encounter and exchange. This was particularly true in the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500 CE), as the three great religious traditions of Late Antiquity (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) battled, bartered with, and borrowed from one another in a variety of political and cultural contexts. Focusing on the centuries from 1200 to 1500, Trading Places: Byzantium and the Mediterranean World in the Later Middle Ages will explore the Mediterranean world as a “trading place” between Byzantine, Islamic, Jewish, and Western societies.

The symposium includes a keynote lecture by David Abulafia (Cambridge University), three multidisciplinary panels addressing the economic, artistic, and material contours of medieval cultural exchange, presentations on recent work in the digital humanities, a medieval coins and seals workshop, and a concert celebrating the rich musical heritage of the medieval Mediterranean world, with performances by Holy Cross St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir, Natasha Roule, and Voice of the Turtle.

Program

April 16, 6:30 pm, reception at 6:00 pm, Sackler Auditorium, Harvard University Keynote Address Problems of Periodization: The Mediterranean and Other Maritime Spaces in the Late Middle Ages David Abulafia (Cambridge University)

April 17, 9:00 am–3:10 pm, Sackler Auditorium, Harvard University Symposium Panels

Crafting Cultures (9–10:30 am)

Ceramics, trade and innovation in late Byzantium Ece Turnator (University of Texas at Austin)

Echoes of the Alexander Romance: An Islamic illustrated manuscript in late medieval Anatolia Ayşin Yoltar-Yıldırım (Harvard Art Museums)

Commerce and Community (10:30 am–12:00 pm)

Jews, Jewish Law, and Venetian Justice: Cultural Crossings in the Courtrooms of Late Medieval Crete Rena Lauer (Oregon State University)

Western Merchants in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and Beyond David Jacoby (Hebrew University)

The Many Names of Kingship: Minting Power and Prestige in Late Medieval Christian and Islamic Markets Eurydice Georganteli (Harvard University and University of Birmingham), Ali Miynat (University of Birmingham), Ali Asgar Alibhai (Harvard University)

Old Paths, New Journeys (1:30 pm–3:10 pm)

The King’s Bezant: The Life and Afterlife of Byzantine Money Barrie Cook (The British Museum)

Mapping the Mediterranean: Historical GIS and the Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations Leland Grigoli (Harvard University)

From Trebizond to al-Andalus: Digital Stories from the late Medieval Mediterranean Eurydice Georganteli (Harvard University and University of Birmingham) and Ioanna Koukouni (University of Birmingham)

Medieval Europe under one Digital Roof: Interoperability and the Digital Humanities Judson Haward (Harvard University)

Medieval Coins and Seals Workshop, 3:30–4:30 pm, Art Study Center, Harvard Art Museums, REGISTRATION REQUIRED

The Very Rev. Dr. Joachim (John) Cotsonis (Director, Archbishop Iakovos Library, Hellenic College Holy Cross) and Eurydice Georganteli (Harvard University and University of Birmingham)

Crossing Lines: Medieval Musical Encounters, 6:00 pm, reception at 5:30 pm, First Church in Cambridge

The Joy of the Resurrection: Greek Orthodox Hymns of the Paschal Season Holy Cross St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir

Singing the Crusades: Representations of the Crusader East in Trouvère and Troubadour Songs Natasha Roule, vielle, and Ian Pomerantz, voice

Jewels of the Mediterranean: Multicultural Experiences and Memories of the Past in the Music of the Sephardic Jewish Community of the Eastern Mediterranean Voice of the Turtle (Ian Pomerantz, Lisle Kulbach, and Jay Rosenberg)

All events are free and open to the public.

Please visit the conference website (http://tradingplacesconference.org/) for a full description of events and to RSVP.

Space for the workshops is limited. To reserve a place, please contact Dana Ciccotello (dana_ciccotelloharvard.edu) by April 10.

Organizers
Eurydice Georganteli, Department of History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University; Brandie Ratliff, Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture, Hellenic College Holy Cross; Nicholas Watson, Department of English and Committee on Medieval Studies, Harvard University; Sean Gilsdorf, Committee on Medieval Studies, Harvard University

Sponsors
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection; European Commission, Research & Innovation, Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Actions; Harvard Art Museums; Harvard University Department of History of Art + Architecture; Harvard University Provostial Fund for the Arts and Humanities; Harvard University Standing Committee on Medieval Studies; Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture at Hellenic College Holy Cross

For information about the event, please contact Brandie Ratliff, Director, Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture (mjcbachchc.edu).