CAH2208 : Issues in Ancient History
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Don Miller
- Lecturer: Professor Federico Santangelo, Dr Marta Garcia Morcillo, Dr Joseph Skinner, Dr Simon Corcoran
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The purpose of this module is to introduce students in the BA with Honours in Ancient History to more detailed work on particular aspects and problems of ancient history. It is designed to illustrate the ways of approaching and researching problems in ancient history. In particular the aim is to concentrate on methods and the ways of exploiting different kinds of evidence.
This module aims to provide an opportunity of investigating in some depth selected problems, including the appraisal of selected source material and the critical examination of current historiography.
Outline Of Syllabus
In a typical year the module might be based around the exploration of such key issues as:
Inscriptions (e.g. approaches to the interpretation of epigraphic evidence)
Written records, such as papyri and writing tablets (eg documents on Roman history, Vindolanda Tablets)
Religion and Roman History (e.g. The trial and execution of Jesus, Judea as a Roman province)
Greeks and non-Greeks (e.g. Herodotus and the 'Other'; Greeks and Barbarians)
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | 2 lectures per week |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 64 | 1:00 | 64:00 | For two assessment components |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 33 | 1:00 | 33:00 | 3 hours reading per week |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | 1 seminar per week |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | 2 hours preparation tasks per seminar |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 50 | 1:00 | 50:00 | General consolidation activities |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The lectures impart core knowledge via expert orientation and exposition of a broad range of themes and issues, with opportunities for dialogue, while also stimulating development of independent research and note-taking skills.
Seminars allow students to develop their grasp of specific aspects of the historical themes and issues and to practice and improve their communication skills.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | M | 25 | Scholarship review of 1,000 words |
| Reflective log | 2 | A | 75 | Reflective log of 2,200 words |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research proposal | 2 | M | Research proposal of 300 words in preparation for the Stage 3 dissertation. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Submitted work tests intended knowledge and skills outcomes, develops key skills in research, reading and writing. The assessment methods used test intended knowledge and skills outcomes, and are appropriate for assessing students' skills in research, reading and writing, which are developed during the course of the module. They are designed to support the achievement of the intended aims and learning outcomes.
The 1,000 word scholarship review assesses students' ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the academic literature on a specific topic and how scholarship is done. The purpose of the 2,200 word reflective log is for students to reflect critically on their learning development and the skills they have acquired during the course of the module.
The formative assessment takes the form of a research proposal and is designed to prepare students for the Stage 3 dissertation, one of the assessments for which is a research proposal.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CAH2208's Timetable