Recent advances in the study of material culture, together with more nuanced readings of the written sources on Crete, make a round-table discussion of the island’s history in the early Middle Ages both timely and necessary. The main objective of this roundtable discussion is to bring historical texts (evidence from Byzantine and Arabic sources, as well as Genizah documents) and archaeological evidence into dialogue in order to investigate the patterns of rural production and settlement, alongside Crete’s commercial exchanges with the outside world. Chronologically, the discussion spans from the 7th to the 11th centuries, encompassing three major phases: the early Middle Ages under Byzantine rule, the period of Islamic control during the Cretan Emirate, and the renewed Byzantine dominion following Emperor Nikephoros Phokas’ conquest of the island. The first part of the discussion focuses on the production, storage and consumption of cereals as well as on rural settlement patterns and agroecosystems, aiming to trace the transition from Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages in Crete’s socio-economic structures. The second part turns to the island’s urban economy and exchange. Presentations that engage with archaeological evidence, particularly ceramic evidence, shed light not only on Crete’s urban development but also on its commercial links with the neighboring Aegean, regions further north, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Central Mediterranean. Key questions include the extent of regional self-sufficiency and the impact of political and economic changes in the broader Mediterranean world on the reorganization of rural production, settlement patterns and the nature of trade networks in Crete.
It is commonly held that cereal production in Crete declined drastically from the 1950s onwards, when cereal cultivation was progressively replaced by olive groves and vineyards. The present agrarian landscape of the Messara, the most agriculturally productive area of the island, must therefore be seen as the outcome of a relatively recent historical process. That…
This paper aims to offer an overview of the rural surveys conducted on the island of Crete and re-assess the traditional historiographical interpretation of the fate of insular agricultural settlement patterns, ecosystems, population and agroecosystems in the passage from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages (i.e., late 6th – late 9th century). Indeed, one…
The city of Gortyn, provincial capital of Crete from the Augustan era until the eve of the Arab conquest in the early 9th century, underwent substantial monumental development from the Imperial period through the Byzantine age, when it was elevated to the rank of metropolitan see. Its economic strength is evident not only in the…
Dive into the fascinating world of ceramics as we trace their movement and transformation across the vibrant frontier between Byzantine and Islamic civilizations on Crete during this dynamic period. Discover how these exquisite artifacts not only reflect the artistry and craftsmanship of the time but also reveal stories of cultural exchange and influence that shaped…
This paper investigates human activity, trade networks, and commercial interaction between Crete and the wider Mediterranean during the Early Middle Ages of Byzantium, a period marked by diverse and profound transformations. Drawing on new archaeological evidence and ceramic studies, it examines how local production and regional exchange developed alongside broader Mediterranean connectivity. Particular emphasis is…
The purpose of this introduction is to foreground a series of textual sources—some of which have not been systematically examined before—that relate to Crete’s economy and particularly its commerce. These sources span the period from the expansion of the Muslims into the Mediterranean in the 7th century to the 11th-12th centuries, a period marked by…