Course Catalogue

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This course explores a series of key themes relating to the lived experiences of individuals and communities in Egypt and Mesopotamia between ca. 10,000 and 1,000 BCE. The course will draw on comparative archaeological, historical, and iconographic sources to examine the construction of social communities, framed through the theoretical themes of cohesion, inequality, and identity. Students will be encouraged to reflect critically on some of the core methods and assumptions that have traditionally governed research in these regions, and will be given opportunities to develop diverse new understandings of past peoples' everyday lives.

One two-hour session (integrated lecture and seminar) per week for 10 weeks, as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the PGT options in Archaeology and may not run every year. The options that are running this year are available on MyCampus.

Standard entry to Masters at College level

Being Human in the Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Hons) ARCH4074

None

Online Worksheet (2000 words) 30%

Essay (3000 words) on an approved topic 50%

Oral Presentation (15 minutes) 20%

This course aims to:

■ Provide a detailed examination of the construction and articulation of social life in Egypt and Mesopotamia between ca. 10,000 - 1,000 BCE.

■ Investigate key issues in the study of identity and experience with regard to social organisation.

■ Explore different theoretical and methodological frameworks for the analysis of social experience through specific case studies.

■ Investigate and evaluate a range of different sources - archaeological, textual and iconographic - with a special emphasis on interdisciplinary integration.

■ Provide opportunities for students to develop transferable skills, such as the ability to communicate ideas effectively in written and oral work.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify and evaluate important aspects of social experience in the Egypt and Mesopotamia between ca. 10,000 - 1,000 BCE.

■ Critically analyse the roles of cohesion, inequality, and identity in the formation of past communities.

■ Interpret a variety of sources of evidence, including archaeological, textual, and iconographic, taking into account their advantages and biases, and combining them effectively.

■ Critically reflect on the sources, methods, and theories associated with the study of human social experience in the past through group discussion in class.

■ Apply a range of social theories to archaeological evidence through prescribed topics.

■ Communicate archaeological knowledge to an academic and public audience.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.