The Armenians have left traces of links very old, dating back to the Middle Ages, between the "slopes of Ararat" and the rest of the continent Euro-Mediterranean partnership, with small colonies of merchants, religious, artisans, intellectuals, political exiles, who have often played a role of "cultural smugglers" (broadly and in both directions) : smugglers of ideas, food, craft skills, innovations (artistic, technical, scientists), political currents, etc.