皇家华人

Michael Decker

Maroulis Professor of Byzantine History and Orthodox Religion

CONTACT information and CV

Office: SOC 260
Email: mjdecker@usf.edu
Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Oxford University, 2001

Teaching

In my teaching I focus on the history of the ancient and medieval Mediterranean. I regularly teach classes on the eastern regions of the East Roman (鈥淏yzantine鈥�) Empire and its neighbors, notably on the Crusades, the rise of Islam, the transformation of the Mediterranean world in late antiquity, and the so-called Dark Ages. My approach is interdisciplinary, integrating textual and material evidence and utilizing digital tools whenever possible. I am open to working with students at the MA and PhD level with an interest in the social, material, and economic history of the ancient and medieval Mediterranean.

RESEARCH

My research interests include a range of environmental, social, and economic facets of Mediterranean history. Over recent years I have established initiatives exploring the role of health, disease, and the environment as facets of historical change. Notably, I conceived of the use of new biological technologies to explore the so-called First Pandemic or Justinianic Plague which resulted in the discovery of the first contemporary genetic evidence of bubonic plague in the eastern Mediterranean. Together with this environmental research, I work on issues of plants, agriculture, and transformation in rural life. I have published a number of works on the so-called Islamic Agricultural Revolution and continue to develop new avenues of exploration in this area, notably a project on medicinal plants and the production and reception of medical products and knowledge in the medieval East. I have written extensively on economic and social aspects of East Roman history, including diplomatic exchanges, knowledge transfers, trade, and warfare. In addition, I maintain ancillary interests in the neighbors of the empire, especially the Sasanian Empire and early Islamic successor states in the East.