22.09.2017 Levante-Symposion MARBURG, 12th – 15th of OCTOBER 2017

The Archeological Institute of the Philipps-Universität Marburg announces the Symposion

THE TRANSITION FROM THE ACHAEMENID TO THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD IN THE LEVANT, CYPRUS AND CILICIA
Radical Change vs Cultural Continuity?

in
MARBURG, 12th – 15th of OCTOBER 2017
Senatssitzungssaal (Chamber of the University’s Senate)
Biegenstr. 12

The aim of the Symposion is to investigate the transition from the Achaemenid to the Hellenistic period in three closely interrelated regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Cilicia, the Levant and Cyprus belonged for centuries to the Achaemenid Empire before becoming part of the Hellenistic world with the conquest of Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BC. The new rulers founded new cities, established Greek settlers, and imposed Greek as official language. Although these regions culturally became part of the Hellenistic koiné, traditions from the Achaemenid period continued to play an important role for their populations.

In order to define this role and answer the numerous questions connected with the transition from one period to the other, the symposion wants to bring together scholars of different fields who are mostly working separately, as the Achaemenid period is normally the topic of prehistoric, near eastern or biblical archaeology, whereas the Hellenistic period is investigated by classical archaeologists. Thus the symposion wants to be a forum for an exchange of knowledge and a comprehensive view on the topic.

Some of the questions we would like to address during the Symposion are:

• Is this transition visible in the archaeological record, and if yes how?
• Do settlement patterns and/or archaeological finds point to changes or do they rather demonstrate continuity?
• Which categories of artifacts reflect phenomena of continuity and/or change in this area?
• Did the transition from one period to the other affect the relations between the three different regions and if yes, how?
• What was the impact of this transition on production, use, consumption, long- and short-distance trade?
• Did this transition transform cultural and social behaviors in these regions?

The organizers
Prof. Dr. Winfried Held
Dr. Zoi Kotitsa