How did oceans shape human history?
Prof. David AbulafiaTerritory, food, commerce and conquest: what role have the seas played in the development of the nations we see today?
Learn about this Garden Talk
Throughout history, seas were one of the most important sources of food and commerce for civilisations. They played a key role in accelerating the development of certain communities and proximity to water has always been a sign of abundance. However, most of the literature out there has always focused on routes, ships architecture, or maritime wars.
Professor David Abulafia's research is more interested in understanding what kind of goods people were transporting on their ships and what they were used for. In this intriguing talk, we will get on a journey in the Mediterranean as well as South East Asia to discover how the oceans shaped our history.
Read this talk's transcriptTalk outline
50 minutes
30 minute talk
20 minute Member Q&A
David Abulafia is Emeritus Professor of Mediterranean History at Cambridge University, where he has spent his entire career, and Papathomas Professorial Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
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Territory, food, commerce and conquest: what role have the seas played in the development of the nations we see today?
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