Men, Goods and Ideas Travelling over the Sea: Cilicia at the Crossroad of Eastern Mediterranean Trade Network

Thanks to its specific geographical position, at the crossroads of the most important sea and land trading routes, in a necessary point of transition and interconnection between Syria, Cyprus and Egypt, Cilicia has always played a distinctive role within the context of cul- tural, social and commercial exchanges in the Mediterranean area. In particular during its Romanisation, the commercial relations with the various areas of the Empire were of fundamental importance, and particularly the relations with the Eastern Mediterranean, which were substantial, and were constantly maintained until the first Byzantine age. The subject of this panel was an assessment of the present knowledge on this region, focusing on integrated stud- ies on production exchanges, trade and transport in the Mediter- ranean. Underwater research, archaeological and geophysical investigation about harbour basins, the study of production facilities, analysis of material culture and numismatic evidence have led and are still leading to an exhaustive picture of the changes and transformations involving the region and the urban centres throughout centuries as a result of evolving large-scale economic and social processes. The resulting large amount of information about the role played by the region as a production centre and a market-place has created comparative samples for other research under way in Cilicia and south-eastern Turkey.