People of the Red Sea

In 2004 a conference marking the second phase of the Red Sea Project was held at the British Museum; its theme this time was on trade, travel and exchange between the peoples on both sides of the Red Sea. Illustrated throughout, the initial six papers focus on the Pharaonic and classical periods. Contributors examine, for example, the archaeological evidence for Pharonic coastal settlements, the interaction of Romans with Troglodites, Aksumite trade and the exchange systems of the Red Sea region and Indian Ocean. The remaining nine papers move the emphasis forward to consider the movement of people and the interaction between cultures during the medieval and modern periods. Subjects here include travellers on the Red Sea coast, 12th-century crusaders, the Egyptian port of Al-Qusayr in 1799-1800, wildlife conservaton in Saudi Arabia, Europeans and 19th-century Jiddah, linguistics and magical practices.