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Under the Mediterranean: 100 years on...
The world of maritime archaeology has undoubtedly changed significantly since Honor Frost wrote her seminal volume, Under the Mediterranean (1963). A milestone in the development of the subject in the Mediterranean came when in 1985 a symposium series began in Greece with the theme: TROPIS, International Symposium on Ship Construction in Antiquity. TROPIS soon became a meeting point for maritime archaeologists, working mainly (but not exclusively) in the Mediterranean, who presented papers on diverse research themes, including shipbuilding, ships and boats, ports and harbours, navigation and seafaring. The last TROPIS conference took place on Hydra, in 2008. Honor was part of this meeting as she had been, with one exception, in every previous meeting. Since then TROPIS has not been followed up by any other Mediterranean maritime archaeological forum, and yet the discipline has continued to develop as more and more papers with maritime themes are presented in other archaeological conferences of more general interest. We believe it is now time to provide a forum for maritime archaeologists working in the Mediterranean to regroup and to re-engage with the early TROPIS principles: to communicate more widely with others working in the region underwater, on the coasts, and on the land, and to share new finds, methodologies and ideas, including landscapes, trade, connectivity, scientific analysis, cultural management and new technological developments. On the 28 October 2017, 100 years have passed since Honor Frost was born in Cyprus. To mark this event, it was decided to celebrate the centenary of her birth, to honour her work and that of her Foundation, by organising an international conference on Cyprus. It was held over four days (20-24 October 2017) and hosted at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia. A fifth day was dedicated to visiting some of the important coastal archaeological sites of Cyprus, particularly the pre-Classical harbours that were the main focus of Honor's research. Participants were also invited to sail on the replica Kyrenia Liberty. The conference was largely supported by the HFF. |
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ΚΑRΑVΟΙ (Κάραβοι): Methodology, Interpretation and Typology of Maritime Graffiti in the Mediterranean This International Conference, took place on 15 – 16 October 2016, after the completion of the 2014 research project, entitled KARAVOI: The Ship Graffiti on the Medieval and post-Medieval Monuments of Cyprus: Mapping, Documentation, and Digitisation, which was initiated by the University of Cyprus and funded by the Leventis Foundation.
The conference was one of the project's deliverables and brought together for the first time scholars that work in the eastern Mediterranean in order to discuss diverse aspects of ship graffiti, such as:
1. Maritime graffiti other than ships |
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Per terram, Per mare: Production and Transport of Roman Amphorae in the Eastern Mediterranean This International Conference, took place on 12 – 15 April 2012 and was organized by the programme Roman Amphorae from Cyprus (ROMACY) (a programme co-funded by the European Development Funds and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation), and the MA.RE.Lab. The aim of the conference was to provide an in-depth and multi-faceted approach to amphora studies and to produce a synthesis of the data obtained from recent research in the eastern Mediterranean. The Conference, which addressed issues concerning typology, archaeometry and seaborne trade to statistical analysis and theoretical perspectives brought together specialists from various fields in order to exchange ideas and communicate results on issues relating to the nature of amphora production and trade.
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Sailing from Polis to Empire: maritime scales in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Hellenistic Period (4th - 1st centuries BCE) The International Workshop, took place on 14 - 15 November 2014 and was organized by the the University of Cyprus (Sailing in Cyprus through the centuries project) and Le Mans University, France, in collaboration with the French Institute of Cyprus (Institut Français de Chypre), CReAAH (Centre de Recherches en Archéologie, Archéosciences, Histoire) and the Scientific Interest Group of Maritime History (Groupement d' Intérêt Scientifique d' Histoire Maritime). In this international workshop, maritime archaeologists and historians from France and Cyprus presented new data and discussed important research topics, such as the geography of sailing, seaborne trade patterns and mechanisms, ship types and shipbuilding technology. The focus was on Hellenistic times, a period when sea power was undoubtedly the epicentre of ideological and political developments: naval fleets became of key importance for the kingdoms, and the new seaborne trade networks created different economic trends in the Eastern Mediterranean. |
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