The Origins of the Islamic State: Sovereignity and Power in the Middle Ages conference was hosted by the UCL Institute of Archaeology on the 16 th –17 th of February, 2017. As a part of the ‘Rethinking the Islamic State’ research initiative (links below), the conference explored the concept of the Islamic State both in the past and in the present, examining historical symbols of power, as well as their re-tellings in contemporary media. This dual focus allowed the speakers to not only outline some recent developments in the fields of Islamic history and archaeology, but also to engage with some relevant contemporary political issues. Such links between the past and the present, while often controversial, provided the overarching theme of the conference.

中文翻译：

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伊斯兰国家起源回顾：中世纪的主权与权力

伊斯兰国的起源：中世纪的主权与权力会议由UCL考古学院于2017年2月16日至17日举行。作为“重新思考伊斯兰国”研究计划的一部分（链接下文），会议探讨了伊斯兰国家的过去和现在的概念，研究了权力的历史象征及其在当代媒体中的重述。这种双重关注使演讲者不仅可以概述伊斯兰历史和考古学领域的一些最新发展，而且可以参与一些相关的当代政治问题。过去和现在之间的这种联系虽然经常引起争议，但却提供了会议的总体主题。