Invisible conquests. Reassessing the Byzantine-Early Islamic Transition in the Levant and North Africa 2800-AKEIT
I. Introduction
Defining the geographical framework of the Eastern Mediterranean, northern Africa
and adjacent regions.
Examining various systems of chronology and periodization in historical and
archaeological studies.
Historical overview: An analysis of primary and secondary sources for understanding
the Early Islamic period.
II. Deconstructing the Perception of the Arab Conquests in Historiography and Popular
Culture
Byzantine historiography and its narratives on the Arab conquests.
Arabic historiography: Emergent narratives and their contexts.
Modern historiography: Reinterpreting traditional views.
Deconstructing colonial discourse on the Arab conquests.
Representations of the Arab conquests in modern popular culture.
III. The Eastern Mediterranean before Muhammad
Political and social dynamics within the Byzantine Empire.
Religious diversity.
The Sasanian-Byzantine wars and their effects on the region.
Pre-Islamic Arab culture and its role in the wider Near East.
IV. Arab Communities before Muhammad
The Ghassanids and other Arab groups in the Levant.
The first Arabic inscriptions and their significance.
The growing Arab presence in the Levant.
V. Invisible Conquests: The Impact of Early Islamic Conquests on the material culture of the
Levant
A historical outline of the early conquests.
Archaeological evidence for the Arab conquests.
Transformations in the urban structure of Late Antique cities.
Continuities in material culture: Pottery, glass, and numismatics.
Fiscal and administrative reforms under Islamic rule.
Relationships between Muslims and indigenous Christian and Jewish communities.
VI. From Polis to Madina: Changing Urban Landscapes in the Byzantine–Early Islamic
Transition
The decline of Late Antique public institutions.
Shifts in aesthetic approaches to cityscapes.
Continuities and transformations in sacred spaces.
Encroachment on communication arteries in Late Antique cities.
Debating trade and economic prosperity during the transition.
VII. Settling the Desert: The New Umayyad Foundations in the Southern Levant
The emergence of Islamic and mosque architecture
Desert castles in Jordan and Palestine: Functions and significance.
Palaces and residential architecture.
The foundation of new cities and settlements.
Late Antique art in the context of Early Islam: Continuity and change.
Iconoclasm and iconophobia in Early Islamic art.
The fate of Christian communities and churches under Umayyad rule.
VIII. From Africa to Ifrīqiya
The new administrative and urban foundations in North Africa.
The fall of Carthage and its repercussions.
Challenges in defining the Early Islamic period archaeologically.
IX. Al-Andalus
The establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate in al-Andalus.
Migration and material culture evolution.
Innovations in aesthetic and architectural traditions.
X. Early Islamic Conquests in Global History
Situating the conquests in the broader framework of global historical transitions.
XII. Summary and Discussion
Reflections on key themes and final discussions on historiographical and
archaeological perspectives.
Rodzaj przedmiotu
Tryb prowadzenia
Koordynatorzy przedmiotu
Efekty kształcenia
The student understands key terminology related to the chronology and periodization of the
Byzantine and Early Islamic Near East and North Africa (KW02).
Upon completing the course, the student can identify and describe the primary political,
economic, and socio-cultural impacts of the Arab conquests in the mid-7th century. This
includes a foundational understanding of changes in the social structure of Early Islamic
societies, settlement patterns, and land use during the Byzantine-Islamic transition (KW03).
The student gains knowledge of how to recognize, interpret, and contextualize various
categories of material culture from this period. This enables an exploration of communal
identities and social structures within Early Islamic societies (KW06, KW08).
The student can independently select, analyze, and evaluate information from academic
literature, internet resources (KU01), and other sources, applying critical thinking to
archaeological subjects related to the Early Islamic Near East (KU02).
The student develops the ability to classify and contextualize material culture, particularly
ceramics, and identify appropriate analytical methods to interpret their archaeological
context. Furthermore, they can present these findings effectively (KU03, KU12).
The student recognizes the subjectivity inherent in traditional historiography of the Arab
conquests and understands the influence of colonial discourse on historical interpretation
(KK02, KK03).
The course enhances the student's ability to handle and identify objects, preparing them for
future research while fostering an appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches and the
verification of data using diverse methodologies (KK05).
Kryteria oceniania
An active participation in classes are
required, including the obligatory reading of short texts, short exam (based on these
reading).
Literatura
Avni, G.
2011 From Polis to Madina - Revisited. Urban Change in Byzantine and Early Islamic
Palestine. Journal of Royal Asiatic Society 21, 301-329.
2014 The Byzantine-Islamic Transition in Palestine. An Archaeological Approach [=Oxford
Studies in Byzantium], Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carvajal-López, J. C.
2021 After the conquest: Ceramics and migration. In H. Fancy amd A. García-Sanjuán (eds.),
What was the Islamic conquest of Iberia? Understanding the new debate (pp. 55–73).
Abingdon: Routledge
2023 Islamization and archaeology: Religion, culture and new materialism. London:
Bloomsbury
Donner, F.
1981 The early Islamic conquests. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Fenwick, C.
2013 From Africa to Ifrīqiya: Settlement and Society in Early Medieval North Africa
(650–800). Al-Masāq 25(1), 9-33
2020 Early Islamic North Africa. London: Duckworth.
Hoyland, R.
2015 In God’s path: The Arab conquests and the creation of an Islamic empire. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
Kennedy, H.
1985 From Polis to Madina: Urban Change in Late Antique and Early Islamic Syria. Past &
Present 106: 3-27.
2007 The great Arab conquests: How the spread of Islam changed the world we live in.
London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson.
Nol, H.
2022 Settlement and Urbanization in Early Islamic Palestine, 7 th -11 th centuries. Texts and
Archaeology Contrasted [Studies in the History of the Ancient Near East]. Abington,
Oxon, New York: Routledge.
Magness, J.
2003 The Archaeology of the Early Islamic Settlement in Palestine. Winona Lake, IN:
Eisenbrauns.
Milwright, M.
2010 An Introduction to Islamic Archaeology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Taxel, I.
2018 Early Islamic Palestine: Toward a More Fine-Tuned Recognition of Settlement
Patterns and Land Uses in Town and Country. Journal of Islamic Archaeology 5(2):
153-180.
Walmsley, A.
2007 Early Islamic Syria: an Archaeological Assessment. London, Bristol: Duckworth.
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