You are kindly invited to the seminar titled as “Byzantine Sardinia: History and Archaeology through coins, seals, and metal artifacts.” organised by the Department of History.
Date: 28 November 2024, Thursday
Time: 16.30
Avenue: A-130
Title: Byzantine Sardinia: History and Archaeology through coins, seals, and metal artifacts
Speaker: Marco Muresu, University of Cagliari
Bio:
Marco Muresu, PhD, is Assistant Professor in Christian and Medieval Archaeology at the University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), where he teaches courses on Metal artefacts and Numismatics. His scientific interests focus on the Byzantine western Mediterranean, primarily Sardinia on which he is an expert in metal artefacts, coins, and seals from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. He published a multitude of articles in national and international, peer-reviewed scientific journals, alongside a monograph in 2018 which was awarded with the 24th ‘Premio Cimitile’ Prize for the best book on Christian and Medieval Archaeology published in Italy, during the following year. He held also a Research Award at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection during 2020.
Marco’s fields of research involved also the archaeology and history of Middle Byzantine Mount Athos, on which he published his second monograph in 2020, in addition to several articles.
Abstract:
From the sixth to the tenth century Sardinia shifted from direct control of Byzantium to its own political features within the Latin West. During these centuries, while remaining within the Byzantine sphere of influence, the island shown different levels of resilience from the Motherland to its surroundings, especially after it became the last outpost of the erstwhile Exarchate of Africa from the late 7th century, to the early phases of autonomous rule under the so-called iudikes in the 10th century. This was a slow process, during which the island developed its own forms of power, society and connectivity. The aim of this paper is to frame this transition through the complementary magnifier of coinage, lead seals, and metal artifacts.