Material about eastern Mediterranean (8)
I believe the answer is:
relevant
'material' is the definition.
('relevant' can be similar in meaning to 'material')
'about eastern mediterranean' is the wordplay.
'about' becomes 're' (regarding).
'eastern mediterranean' becomes 'levant' (I've seen this before).
're'+'levant'='RELEVANT'
(Other definitions for relevant that I've seen before include "Suitable" , "Bearing on the issue in hand" , "Germane or pertinent" , "Germane, apropos" , "Closely connected (to the matter in hand)" .)