Assoc. Prof. Luca Zavagno of the Department of History and Archaeology has published his fourth monograph, “The Insular Worlds of Byzantium, ca. 550–ca. 900.” The book offers a comparative study of major islands and archipelagoes in the Byzantine Mediterranean—such as Cyprus, Crete, Sicily, Sardinia, Malta and the Balearics—during a time of political fragmentation and shifting cultural boundaries.
Moving beyond traditional literary and documentary sources, the work draws on new archaeological evidence to present a nuanced understanding of insular societies as dynamic centers of connectivity. It also challenges assumptions of decline, emphasizing the resilience and transformation of urban, rural and religious life in these regions.
Published by ARC Humanities Press, the book contributes to ongoing debates about cross-cultural exchange, regional autonomy and the lived experiences of island communities in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.