Law, Custom and Ritual in the Medieval Mediterranean – Day Two

Society for the Medieval Mediterranean Conference 2015: Law, Custom and Ritual in the Medieval Mediterranean – Day Two

A warm welcome back to all delegates here at the University of Lincoln for the 4th International Conference of the Society for the Medieval Mediterranean. Hope you have all enjoyed another fascinating day of panels. Thank you to all those who delivered papers and to today’s keynote speaker, Dr. Andrew Marsham of Edinburgh University.

This morning, the papers included topics on professional legal identities, the selection of an emir, the Lombard Laws and the steps involved in maintaining the eastern Mediterranean slave trade. The afternoon’s sessions were equally as informative, with papers concerning rituals, customs and laws of fiefs in Medieval Italy; scribal practice and record keeping; and the traditions, variety and originality in the formulas of charters. Each paper provoked a wide range of questions which made for interesting discussion.

Doctor Marsham’s keynote speech on ‘Rituals of accession in early Islam: a comparative perspective’ was extremely informative and offered interesting comparative insights between the Medieval East and Latin West. Thank you!

We are very much looking forward to a lovely evening at the Old Bishops Palace for the conference dinner! The programme for tomorrow promises an equally fascinating day ahead.

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