HS2425: The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity: From Constantine to Charlemagne
School | Archaeology |
Department Code | SHARE |
Module Code | HS2425 |
External Subject Code | V400 |
Number of Credits | 20 |
Level | L6 |
Language of Delivery | English |
Module Leader | Professor Reginald Pringle |
Semester | Double Semester |
Academic Year | 2013/4 |
Outline Description of Module
On completion of the module a student should be able to
To examine both thematically and regionally the material culture of the Mediterranean world in the period of Late Antiquity (c.300-850) in the context of the political and cultural changes taking place in a period which saw the disintegration of the Roman Empire and the development of political and cultural groupings that were to endure into the Middle Ages.
How the module will be delivered
The principal medium will be the illustrated lecture, with one two-hour seminar. Lectures will present primary material, discuss themes, introduce case studies, and provide a broad overview of the material world of Late Antiquity. The seminars will give students an opportunity to consider the main themes of the course in small groups and present their findings to the full class as an oral presentation.
Skills that will be practised and developed
On completion of the module a student should be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding:
· Demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of the material culture (sites, monuments and artefacts) of the Mediterranean world in Late Antiquity (c.300-800).
· Show familiarity with the sources of evidence and modern interpretations relating to various themes relating to the later Roman Empire, including the development of church architecture, pilgrimage, forts and fortifications, town life, the countryside, trade and industry.
· Show familiarity with the sources of evidence and modern interpretations relating to cultural change brought about by the influx and settlement of immigrant peoples from outside the former empire in Syria, Palestine, North Africa, Iberia, Italy and Gaul.
Intellectual Skills:
· Evaluate and utilize archaeological evidence of various types
· Assess modern interpretations of the period in the light of the archaeological evidence
· Synthesize, compare and contrast evidence from different areas
Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:
· Understand the value and relevance of particular classes of evidence
· Assess the relative value of material and written sources in specific case studies
Transferable Skills:
· Write effectively about research problems
· Talk effectively about research problems
· Organize effective enquiry into questions and problems
How the module will be assessed
Assessment will be by one essay (worth 50% of the final mark) and a two-hour exam (worth 50%).
Assessment Breakdown
Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
---|---|---|---|
Written Assessment | 50 | The Mediterranean World In Late Antiquity: From Constantine To Charlemagne | N/A |
Exam - Spring Semester | 50 | The Mediterranean World In Late Antiquity: From Constantine To Charlemagne | 2 |
Syllabus content
Lecture topics:
1. Introduction
2. Imperial Capitals
3. Towns and cities
4. The countryside
5. Trade and Industry
6. The Army and fortifications
7. The Church
8. Italy under the Ostrogoths, Byzantines and Lombards
9. Visigothic Spain
10. Vandal and Byzantine Africa
11. Early Muslim Syria, Palestine and Iraq
12. Early Muslim Egypt, Ifriqiya and al-Andalus
13. Visigothic, Frankish and Merovingian Gaul
14. The Carolingian empire
15. Conclusion.
Essential Reading and Resource List
R. Krautheimer, Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture (1975).
P. Brown, The World of Late Antiquity (1971).
A. Cameron, The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity (1993).
J.K. Knight, End of Antiquity: Archaeology, Society and Religion AD 235-700 (1999).
Talbot Rice, D. (ed.) The Dark Ages: The Making of European Civilization. London (1965).
G.P. Brogliolo and B. Ward-Perkins (eds.), The Idea and the Ideal of the Town in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (1999).
K.A.C. Creswell, Early Muslim Architecture, 2 vols (1940, 1969).
Ward-Perkins, B. The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization. Oxford (2005).
Wickham, C. Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean, 400–800. Oxford (2005).