Unit information: Material Remains of the Past in 2023/24

Unit name	Material Remains of the Past
Unit code	CLAS20059
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Knippschild
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	n/a
School/department	Department of Classics & Ancient History
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

This unit introduces students to a wide variety of sources available to ancient historians: these sources include archaeological evidence broadly speaking, i.e. material evidence of various cultural practices: from sculpture to potsherds, from buildings to weapons, and from pollen to bones; they also include more specialized evidence related to epigraphy (inscriptions on various media), numismatics (coins), and papyrology (texts written on papyri). Students will also be introduced to the disciplines and sub-disciplines that study material remains, as well as relevant methodological and interpretative issues. They will also explore the contribution of the study of material remains to specific historical questions.

Your learning on this unit

On successful completion of this unit, students will:

1. demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of evidence provided by the material remains of antiquity, such as those provided by archaeology, epigraphy, numismatic, and papyrology;
2. evaluate some of the ways in which scholars make use of such evidence in studying particular problems in ancient history, and in producing interpretations of pieces of evidence;
3. use the knowledge acquired in lectures and through their own research to construct coherent, relevant and persuasive arguments based on the use of material evidence;
4. demonstrate developed skills in oral and written communication, at a standard appropriate to level I.

How you will learn

This unit will involve a combination of independent investigative activities, long- and short-form lectures, and discussion. Students will be expected to engage with materials and participate on a weekly basis. Feedback will be provided for both formative and summative assessments, and this will be supported by meetings with tutors.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted)

Group presentation (0%, Required for credit) [ILOs 2-4]

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

Essay, 2,000 words (100%) [ILOs 1-4]

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CLAS20059).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.