Being Human:
Rhythms, Actions, Inter-actions in the Medieval Mediterranean
University of Edinburgh, UK
24 –27 June 2024
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The Call for Papers is now closed.
The theme of the Eighth International Conference of the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean (SMM) is ‘Being Human: Rhythms, Actions, Inter-actions in the Medieval Mediterranean’.
Scholars are invited to explore the ‘human’ histories of the Mediterranean, especially the multifaceted interactions which took place in and around the sea from quotidian and cross-cultural perspectives. Attention will be paid to the rhythmic and cyclical nature of human activity in the Mediterranean and in the maritime cities and towns surrounding it.
We invite papers that examine the theme from different disciplinary perspectives, including History, Archaeology, Literature, Linguistics, Art History, Religious Studies/Theology, among others. We welcome research papers that, through the analysis of diverse types of sources, apply innovative approaches and stimulate debates that will enhance our understanding of individual and collective perceptions and experiences of human interactions in and across the medieval Mediterranean.
Topics of the conference could include, but are by no means limited to:
– Cross-cultural contacts, interactions, assimilation and/or conflicts
– Rhythms of activity, e.g., sailing seasons, fishing and farming, markets, and the impact of natural conditions
– Religious interactions, e.g., of pilgrims, missionaries, travellers and scholars
– Diplomatic interactions, e.g., of emissaries, translators and merchants
– Daily interactions, e.g., love, sex, marriage, family, friends and neighbours
– Military interactions, e.g. of mercenaries and crusaders
– Interactions between peoples of the Mediterranean and the wider world
– Slavery, liberty and captivity
– Pirates, renegades and rule-breakers
– Migration, movement and settlement
– Material evidence of exchange and interactions
– Construction and/or deconstruction of ‘identities’
– Narrative, visual and materials depictions of the everyday and the commonplace
Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for panels of three 20-minute papers each for 1.5 hour sessions, and should nominate a chair. We will do our best to accommodate applications for individual papers but panels will be prioritised.
Language: Papers will be delivered in English. However, panel chairs will be allowed to accept discussions in any other language, while guaranteeing, if needed, translation into English.
Panel proposals, in the form of a session title, session abstract (150–200 words), and 3 paper titles with short abstracts (100–150 words) as well as the name of a nominated chair where there is a preference should be submitted.
Paper proposals, in the form of a paper title and short abstract (100–150 words) should be submitted.
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Early Bird Registration: until April 30 2024 (23:59 UTC+1): £150
Early Bird Registration for SMM members: until April 30 2024 (23:59 UTC+1): £120
Regular Registration: May 1 – June 3 2024 (23:59 UTC+1): £180
Regular Registration for SMM members: May 1 – June 3 2024 (23:59 UTC+1): £144
Accepted speakers will have until April 20 2024 to register. After that date, others will be offered their places and will be required to register before April 30 2024.
Registration fee will include: coffee breaks and lunches; and wine reception at the conference venue on Monday 24 June
Join the SMM here to qualify for members' rates
Payment can be made via this portal: The eighth biennial conference of the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean (SMM) | University of Edinburgh
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(For attendees and accompanying persons)
Tue 25 June, 19:00-20:30.
Private tutored whisky tasting at the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile. Includes expert guidance and sampling of contrasting regional single malt Scotch whiskies, each carefully chosen to illustrate regional differences and methods of production.
Price: £43
Booking: Whisky tasting
Wednesday 26 June, 20:00:
Conference dinner, £50
Booking: Conference dinner
Thursday 27 June:
Day excursion by boat to Inchcolm Island and Abbey. We will visit Inchcolm Abbey on an island in the Firth of Forth, founded by David I in the twelfth century and one of the best preserved monastic buildings in Scotland. The excursion includes a boat tour and 1 ½ hour stop on the island.
Please note, this will involve participants making their own way by public transport to Port Edgar Marina, South Queensferry, EH30 9SQ. Price includes boat ride and access to Inchcolm Abbey and Island; lunch is not provided. Please note that places are limited for this excursion.
Price: £25
Booking: Boat Tour and excursion
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The deadline for Postgraduate student bursaries has now passed.
Bursary applications will open after the call for papers is announced.
The SMM will offer a number of bursaries for PhD students (or ECRs/Independent scholars with limited access to travel funds) who wish to present their research at the conference. The bursaries will cover the costs of both registration fees and the conference dinner.
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The keynotes lectures will be delivered by:
Iñaki Martín Viso (University of Salamanca)
‘Murder and Adultery in North-Western Iberia (Tenth-Twelfth Centuries): From Local Conflict to Social Control’
The charters of North-Western Iberia preserve an interesting number of texts related to different conflicts in local societies. This keynote will focus on two of the most important types of offences: murder (homicidio) and adultery. Murder appears in the texts in a double dimension: on the one hand, the mentions of the deaths of some individuals; on the other hand, the references to deaths committed in the territory of a village, whose inhabitants had to pay a fine, called homicidio (homicide). Regarding adultery or fornication, the charters generally refer to women (with a clear gender bias) or to priests or monks. The texts mention such sexual relations in the context of the imposition of punishments by authorities. The paper will reflect on the significance of all these tensions in local societies and on the concept of punishment as a mechanism to create and maintain social control by lords and kings.
Hannah Barker (Arizona State University)
‘No One Ought Ever to Forget About Friendship: Slavery, Emotion, and Tatar-Venetian Relations in the Memoirs of Giosafat Barbaro’
In 1455, the Venetian patrician Giosafat Barbaro encountered an old friend in surprising circumstances. As a young merchant in the Black Sea port of Tana, Barbaro had met and befriended a local Tatar notable named Chebechzi. At the end of his time in Tana, Barbaro returned home expecting never to see Chebechzi again. He certainly did not expect to find him enslaved in a Venetian wine shop ten years later. In the moment, Barbaro acted immediately to assert Chebechzi’s freedom and help him return home. Later in life, Barbaro also wrote a memoir in which he reflected on this incident and the meaning of his friendship with Chebechzi and other Tatars. My talk will situate Barbaro’s reflections in the broader contexts of slavery and freedom, friendship and reciprocity, and the complex web of medieval Venetian-Tatar power relations.
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Plane:
Edinburgh airport has direct flights to many major international airports throughout the summer. The airport is situated just outside of the city and can be easily accessed by public transport or taxi. Frequent trams and buses run from Edinburgh city centre to the airport throughout the day and night.
https://www.edinburghairport.com/
Train:
Trains run from Edinburgh Waverly station to many destinations in the UK. Regular trains run from Waverly to London Kings Cross and Euston and take around 4-5 hours. Waverly is situated in the city centre, about 15 minutes’ walk from the University of Edinburgh’s Central Campus area, near George Square.
https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
Travelling in Edinburgh:
Bus services connect most areas of Edinburgh to the city centre, the University of Edinburgh’s Central Campus area, near George Square, and Pollock Estate accommodation. Buses have a flat fee and operate on a contactless payment system. Cash is also accepted on all services, but exact fares are needed as change is not provided.
A tram system connects the airport, Edinburgh Waverly train station and the city centre, but does not run to the University Central Campus area:
Taxis:
Taxis also operate throughout the city and can be found at most major landmarks, hailed on the street, or booked through apps such as Uber.
You can call for a taxi on the following number: (+44) 0131 777777
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The conference will be hosted in the University of Edinburgh’s Central Campus area, near George Square (postcode EH8 9LJ). The city of Edinburgh offers a huge variety of accommodation, both near the central campus, such as in Old Town and Newington, or further afield, such as in New Town. The city is easily walkable, but it is quite hilly. Most parts of the city are very well connected to the Central Campus area by public transport.
A limited number of discounted 3* en-suite rooms are available on the University’s Pollock Estate (about 15 mins walk from the Central Campus), which can be accessed at this link and promo code: https://shorturl.at/cfvR4 (the dates can be amended as needed); promo code: SMMC24
There are also a number of other, higher-end, accommodation options on the Pollock Estate. If you have any queries about these, please contact: Suzanne.m.smith@ed.ac.uk
Budget accommodation, close to Holyrood Abbey (about 20 mins walk from the Central Campus), is available through Destiny Student – Holyrood who offer a range of rooms and apartments at very competitive rates.
Major accommodation sites (Booking.com, Airbnb) also offer endless alternatives. Make your reservation soon, as prices tend to be lower before the start of the summer.
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The conference will be hosted in the University of Edinburgh’s Central Campus area, which is situated around George Square (postcode EH8 9LJ).
Specific details will be provided in the final programme.
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Internet access:
Within the Campus area, conference delegates can use the University wireless network. Those affiliated with institutions that participate in the Eduroam network may use their own accounts.
Weather:
The weather in Edinburgh in June can be very mixed: sometimes warm and sunny, sometimes wet and windy. Although we hope the weather will be pleasant, it is best to prepare for all eventualities.
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