Achim Lichtenberger is Professor of Classical Archaeology at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany. From 2010-2016 he was Professor of Classical Archaeology at Bochum University where he also was director of the Center for Mediterranean Studies. His research interests are the archaeology of the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, ancient numismatics, Mediterranean studies and ancient religion.

Mediterranean Studies and „Biblical Archaeology“

My paper focusses on the relationship between Mediterranean Studies and “Biblical Archaeology” (in the Graeco-Roman periods). It deals from an archaeological point of view with the question of how Mediterranean is ancient Palestine and whether Mediterranean concepts can be applied to the study of Graeco-Roman Palestine. Can Palestine be modeled on the concept of micro-regions? How does Mediterranean connectivity relate to interregional and global networks into which Palestine was embedded? How do major terrestrial routes such as the “King’s Highway” or the “Via Nova Traiana” relate to seafaring?