Byzantine Archaeologies

Summary

Byzantine Archaeologies

Michael J. Decker

The past twenty years have witnessed important research in the core areas of Byzantium, especially in Asia Minor, as well as in territories governed by Constantinople prior to the Arab conquests of the seventh century. Byzantine archaeology has long remained conservative and often the preserve of those interested in art history or nationalist agendas. Nonetheless, many aspects of Byzantine archaeology remain unexplored or neglected, in part because of a lack of academic resources and especially because Byzantium does not lend itself readily to nationalist agendas of current nation states.

In this paper I will examine recent developments in Byzantine archaeology and material culture, including current active areas of research, major problems that occupy Byzantine scholars, and the role of archaeology within several important debates within Byzantine studies. Among the topics which I will explore are the question of the decline of the classical city and its continued centrality within the discipline which has created an oversimplified concept of space and meaning within landscapes. Additionally I will examine some of the current challenges to Byzantine archaeology and promising areas of new research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• North and South: New Directions in Medieval European Archaeology

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