This group is for the study and discussion of ancient Mediterranean history, from its inception during the Miocene drying until modern times.

History -- Prehistory, Ancient, Classical, Medieval, Modern -- has endlessly sailed the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Its shores have been the birthplace of innumerable civilizations, as peoples migrated and settled, traded and conquered, always criss-crossing this "Middle Sea." This study includes any of the lands, peoples, and civilizations that have bordered the Med, which at times has been called the great highway between cultures. For instance, as such a conduit, the Mediterranean was central in the formation of Western Civilization, from Ancient Greece through the Levantine via the Roman Empire to the Renaissance.

The Mediterranean Sea is part of the so-called Cradle of Humanity, as both Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures grew up on its shores. But even further back, before recorded history, the Mediterranean may have played a crucial role in the dawn of civilization and the migrations of mankind as it went through periods of drying out and flooding.

All interested in reading, researching, discussing, writing, or diving into this history are welcome.