The Arab conquest of Syria-Palestine in the seventh century CE
transformed the coast of Bilād al-Shām (Greater Syria) into a maritime
frontier, impacting patterns of trade and ending Byzantine control over
the sea routes of the eastern Mediterranean. The nature of this
transformation has been much debated and clouded by outdated paradigms
like the Pirenne Thesis, as well biased histories, and problematic
archaeological data. The predominant and persistent narrative along the
Syro-Palestinian coast has been one of economic decline, contraction,
and regional abandonment.
In counterpoint to these perspectives, this dissertation seeks to
provide a more nuanced and multi-faceted understanding of the maritime
frontier of Bilād al-Shām during the Byzantine-Islamic transition (the
seventh and eighth centuries CE). This study applies frontier theory to
reassess the available archaeological and literary evidence to reveal
the complex social, political, economic, and environmental processes
that comprised the maritime frontier. It builds the case that despite
periods of conflict, the maritime frontier was a dynamic zone of
connection between the two empires. Rather than a region in decline, it
was a region in transition, marked by dramatic population shifts, new
economic opportunities and avenues of exchange, and the rapid
development of maritime infrastructure
Degree Type
Ph.D.
Content Type
Dissertation
Publication Date
2024-03
Language
en
Record Created
2024-03-11
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