The Animal Turn and Byzantine Studies. Historiographical Trends and Future Directions

This article surveys the development of Byzantine Animal Studies within the broader field of Human-Animal Studies<br/>(HAS), outlining its past achievements, current trends, and future directions. It begins by defining HAS and its interdisciplinary<br/>foundations, then explores key theoretical concepts such as the ‘animal turn’ and ‘animal lens.’ The article traces the emergence<br/>of sustained interest in animals among Byzantinists from 2008 onward, highlighting growing scholarly engagement with both<br/>material and symbolic animals. It further examines recent advances, including new editions, translations, and thematic studies,<br/>while critiquing their anthropocentric bias. Finally, it proposes more zoocentric approaches for future research on human-animal<br/>relations in Byzantium.