Dr. Keane is a recent doctoral graduate from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, specialising on the economic roles of the late antique church. Her forthcoming book focuses on this phenomenon in 4th-9th century Cyprus, which includes the church’s participation in agro-processing, ceramic production, and the copper mining industry.
This postdoctoral project, Resilience and Recovery, focuses on the varying reactions of Early Byzantine societies to political upheavals, invasions, climate, natural disasters, and disease. Communities displayed resilience to crises in many individual ways, demonstrating resourceful negotiations that manifested in economic installations, urban space transformations, and architectural/artistic blends. This research will synthesize post-crisis reorganisation and autonomous actions of coastal communities in Early Byzantine Cyprus, Cilicia, and the Levant. The continued flow of people and goods across geographical boundaries demonstrates local choices in the modifications of religious, civic, and productive spaces. The pertinence of this research on 6th-9th century stressors and adaptations will provide important perspectives to apply to our current obstacles and identities, and transform our understanding of resilience.