SOMA 2023

The 24th Symposium on Mediterranean Archaeology (SOMA 2023), held in Udine from 2 to 4 February 2023, offered an important occasion for the international community engaged in the study of the ancient Mediterranean. The theme "Ideas that travelled by the sea" provided a broad and stimulating framework for examining the movement of knowledge, technologies and cultural practices across the region. Contributions explored navigation, ports and landing places, coastal landscapes and maritime connectivity, with particular attention to shipbuilding traditions and ancient trade routes. Underwater archaeological research featured prominently, offering new perspectives on the dynamics of maritime interaction and on the mechanisms through which ideas, skills and materials circulated across the Mediterranean. Organised by the Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage of the University of Udine, in collaboration with the General Association for Mediterranean Archaeology and under the patronage of the Italian Institute of Underwater Archaeology, the Symposium brought together scholars from across the Mediterranean basin and Europe. The Proceedings gather the papers submitted after the event, presenting a representative overview of current research and illustrating the vitality and diversity of contemporary Mediterranean archaeology. SOMA 2023 emerges as a space where ideas circulated freely, continuing the long tradition of exchange that has shaped the Mediterranean world.