https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/84923 2026-04-15T05:55:36Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/85487 Title: Hasmonean dining practices in the context of the Greco-Roman Mediterranean : a cross-cultural analysis Abstract: The Mediterranean consists of multiple cultures constantly interacting with each other. In this dissertation, the nature of these cultural exchanges is explored through the development of elite dining practices. Food and foodways are ever-present agents which aid in our understanding of the way cultures respond to the influx of novel ideas and customs. Given that food is a principal expression of identity, transformations in elite dining habits shed light on the negotiation of identity as a result of cultural encounters. This theme is investigated in the context of Palestine during the Hasmonean period. Through a cross-cultural archaeological analysis of the pertinent dining settings and vessels associated with convivial consumption, the negotiated identity of the Hasmoneans in response to the Hellenizing and Romanizing banqueting trends of the time is elucidated. This research is incorporated into various theoretical frameworks which help to elucidate the process of this cultural entanglement. This case study based on the Jewish aristocratic dining settings and feasting in the Greco-Roman world provides a window onto the wide-ranging cultural interactions between distinct Mediterranean societies. This dissertation seeks to unravel the correlation between the ‘local’ and the ‘global’ and the constantly changing identities within the region. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/85478 Title: Secularisations within the Mediterranean : a study on France and Malta Abstract: The Mediterranean has frequently been considered as the ‘underbelly’ of northern Europe, having long serving as the backdrop for ambitious endeavours and extraordinary events. It is only with the advent of popular tourism in the late twentieth century and the newfound independence of ex-colonial states that the identity of the Mediterranean has been reconstructed. This fresh interest in the Mediterranean region has sparked debate as to what actually is the Mediterranean and what constitutes its legitimacy. While adopting a homogenous definition for Mediterranean nations has proven futile, the very act of discussing “the Mediterranean” as a concept confirms its legitimacy. This dissertation will therefore explore the diversity found within the Mediterranean by looking at two cases, France and Malta. While it may be impossible to find a common factor between these countries, this dissertation will seek to explore the modernising process of secularism and how this is manifested in each country. This dissertation is therefore not a comparison of the two, but is rather meant to illustrate the various forms of secularism which have emerged within specific contexts. It therefore seeks to illustrate three main hypotheses; that secularisation is neither universal nor self-evident; that it is a product of the cultural and historical context from= which it emerges; that secularisation is therefore a cultural phenomenon. The complex relationship between Europeanness and Mediterraneanness will further be revealed as the discussion of these research questions develops. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z