Medieval Mediterranean

Module code: AR2608

The Mediterranean Sea was a place of encounters and sometimes even clashes between different cultures during the Middle Ages. It went from a fully Roman sea (Mare Nostrum, Our Sea) to a place of connection between the post-Roman Barbarian states and the Byzantine world. From the seventh century, the Muslims spread over the Eastern and Southern shores and founded major new polities (notably Umayyad al-Andalus, in Iberia, and the Fatimids in North Africa and Egypt). The High and Later Middle Ages in the Mediterranean are marked by an intricate patchwork of relations, influences, exchanges and disputes between regions with different religions and societies. Powers such as Venice rose and made their mark across the Sea and beyond. In this module we will explore this extraordinary period of history and archaeology by analysing patterns across different areas: trade, urbanism and rural settlement, war and peace, religious displays, and architectural legacies.

In this module you will be provided with recorded lectures and guided reading under the supervision of our academics through our Virtual Learning Environment. Your assessment will consist of two essays, allowing you to delve deep into the study of two chosen topics of this fascinating period.