Reflecting on borders and interconnections in the Mediterranean World: a brief reconsideration of methodological approaches.

Studies of the ancient world which considers the interrelations with the Near East have been the object of debate since the early stages of Assyriology, and the interest for a comparativistic approach and a Mediterranean dimension for historical research into the ancient world has been progressively increasing. The article concentrates on some selected studies, published after World War II, and explicitly devoted to the Mediterranean dimension as an occasion to reflect on research methods nowadays implemented.