A Case for Islam: Bioarchaeological Research on the Ottoman Period in Southeast Europe

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Mind the Gap: Exploring Uncharted Territories in Medieval European Archaeology" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The introduction of Ottoman control and the arrival of Islam in Southeast Europe during the late medieval period greatly influenced both historical and modern populations. In spite of this impact, this cultural and religious influence remains a topic understudied in archaeology. With Christianity the dominant religion, other religious influences can be overshadowed, particularly those antithetical to normative views of Europe. The connection of this period to modern sociopolitical conflict in the Balkan peninsula also made it a contentious focus of archaeological analysis in the recent past. These reasons provide an impetuous for expanding what we know about this cultural anomaly in medieval Europe. Making a case for Islam, this paper discusses the impact of conversion and migration processes during Ottoman expansion. These processes influenced regional demography, religious diversity, and the historical trajectory of Southeast Europe, proving their importance to medieval history. Ongoing bioarchaeological research highlighting demographic and biological diversity, migration patterns, and conversion practices, including the child tribute system or ‘blood tax’, highlight these influences. The combination and comparison of biological, archaeological, and historical data reveal avenues for future work on this understudied subject.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Mind the Gap: Exploring Uncharted Territories in Medieval European Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24157