HCA2001 : The Mediterranean: a connected past
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Anton Caruana Galizia
- Lecturer: Dr Joseph Skinner, Dr Simon Corcoran, Professor Mark Jackson, Dr Konstantina Maragkou
- 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 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aim of this module is to develop an understanding of the history of the Mediterranean, conceived as a zone of mobility and connectivity. Drawing on a wide range of expertise within the School, the module will focus on specific instances of connectivity and mobility across the Mediterranean, and a range of methods for contextualizing and interpreting source materials that are specific to those instances. Students will thereby be introduced to a range of disciplinary perspectives and to the value of interdisciplinary research in developing an understanding of the Mediterranean’s past. From a broader perspective, students will be invited to re-evaluate conventional aspects of knowledge about the past in terms of chronologies, regional divisions, orientations, and disciplinary boundaries.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will draw on a wide range of expertise from contributors with a commitment to creating a programme of learning that is substantive and coherent. Depending on staff availability, topics covered in the module may include:
Biomolecular evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age mobility.
The Etruscans: Connectivity, trade, and interactions within and outside Etruria.
Pirates of the Mare Nostrum.
The Peutinger Table.
Roman shipwrecks.
Privateers and Corsairs.
Cold War Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean and its connected historiographies.
The movements of migrants and refugees, and attitudes towards these.
Histories of inter-cultural contact and identity-formation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 65 | 1:00 | 65:00 | For two summative assessment components. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 20 | 1:00 | 20:00 | Two hours reading preparation per lecture |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 40 | 1:00 | 40:00 | Four hours preparation time per seminar |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 42 | 1:00 | 42:00 | General consolidation activities (eg. reviewing notes and readings). |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The Module talk serves to highlight connectivity and mobility as the key themes of the module and introduces the assessments. The workshop in Week 1 serves to build on the information covered in the Module talk and introduce the students to seminar skills focused on the wider topic. Lectures serve to introduce regional instances of mobility and connectivity across the Mediterranean. Seminars serve to consolidate the knowledge introduced in the lectures and develop context for source material related to the specific instance introduced in the lectures. Seminars will offer an opportunity for communicating ideas sensitively and effectively, while responding to diverse viewpoints. Workshops create opportunities for small-group activities around a set task aimed at developing skills in the analysis of source material introduced in the lectures and discussed in seminars. This includes opportunities for formative feedback related to the first assessment and feeding forward to the second assessment.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 1 | A | 100 | Reflective Log on topics covered during teaching weeks 2 to 11 inclusive. The word-count for this to be 3,000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective log | 1 | M | 300 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The formative exercise in Week 1, Reflective Sample (300 words), tests the students' ability to write reflectively within the parameters established in the brief for Assessment 1 Portfolio Reflective Log.
The portfolio of reflective writing is designed to assess progress against learning outcomes. It allows students to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge and the ability to think critically and thematically across the topics covered in the module, including through the analysis of a diverse range of source materials. The weekly entries, based on the activities undertaken during the teaching sessions, help students demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively and concisely. Students will thereby demonstrate their skills in reflecting meaningfully on their learning process.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- HCA2001's Timetable