Within the framework of the International University and Research Centre Network of the Phoenicians’ Route (IUN), the conference ‘Meta-Sea. The Sea of the Gods: Circulation of cult and attendance of sanctuaries in the ancient Mediterannean’ was born, organised by the University of Macerata on June 11th and 12th.
The conference addresses the theme of circulation in connection to religion and is the occasion to observe the contribution of various civilizations in the definition of a Mediterranean identity in the religious and cultic sphere. This identity is the result of the historical layering of contacts and dynamic interactions between those crossing the sea from East to West and vice versa.
Particular attention is dedicated to the topic of the sacred, deities, cults, sanctuaries, rituals and the main protagonists in the Mediterranean area along the Phoenician routes.
In facts, literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence related to the sacred sphere provides a privileged lens for observing the creation and development of a “Mediterranean civilization”, which allows us to trace the persistence of various cultural components, phenomena of interaction, aspects of continuity, and the outcomes of transformation.