Historical Inertia: Continuity in the Face of Change 500-1500 CE, 3rd Annual Edinburgh International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies, University of Edinburgh, November 22–23, 2019

Historical discourse has long concerned itself with patterns of change and discontinuity to demonstrate and validate models of periodisation and the compartmentalisation of the wider historical field. Building on these themes, this conference has chosen to focus on the opposing view by concentrating on inertia – how history, material culture, ideas and communities can be seen to maintain a stayed course or deviate if a significant force is exerted upon it. Inertia, a concept that has yet to be applied to mainstream Late Antique studies, introduces perspectives and frameworks that permit new approaches to traditional processes.

This conference will be hosted by the Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Society of the University of Edinburgh on the 22 - 23 November 2019 and will tackle the notion of inertia and the implications accompanying it for Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine history from 500-1500 CE.

We particularly encourage contributions on the following topics:

• Dynastic and Political Changes: Patterns of continuity across ruling classes, court-life and dynastic succession.
• A View from Below – Story of the Common Masses: The role of perceived ‘minority’ groups (religious, ethnic or cultural) that constituted the numerical majority of the population but are ignored or omitted in sources written for/by the dominant group.
• Patterns of Trade and Economic Infrastructure: ‘domestic or foreign’.
• Forms of Expression and Transmission: Listening through language, art and ideas.
• Frontiers (and beyond): Military, diplomatic or cultural interactions across linguistic and political delimitations.

We strongly encourage papers from postgraduate students and early career researchers from all disciplines (Archaeology, Art History, History, Theology etc.) which take advantage of interdisciplinary source-critical approaches.

Poster Presentations
There will be a special poster session held during the conference of 1 hour, which will take place on Saturday afternoon, allowing for discussion with the authors. The posters will be left up for the duration of the conference so they can also be visited during the breaks and during the reception.

We strongly encourage submissions from undergraduate as well as graduate students.