Assessment criteria

The Primary Source Analysis will be marked against the following criteria: (1) analysis of the primary source, (2) use of secondary works, (3) structure of argument, (4) formal presentation, including correct referencing, English language grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The Book Review will be marked against the following criteria: (1) description of the content of the book, (2) assessment of book based on author's objectives, (3) assessment of book based on the reviewer's criteria, (4) contextual discussion, (5) structure of argument, (6) formal presentation including correct referencing, English language grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The Essay will be marked against the following criteria: (1) knowledge of the relevant subject matter, (2) the range of primary sources used and their analysis, (3) the range of secondary works consulted and the depth of engagement with them, (4) correct citation of sources, (5) structure of argument, (6) formal presentation including correct referencing, English language grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Submission of assessment tasks

All assessment tasks must be submitted via Turnitin.

Late Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Completing the unit

To complete the unit satisfactorily, students must study all lectures in the Unit Reader. Recommended texts (see below: Delivery and resources) should also be studied or consulted. Students must submit all items of assessment and hand in work which is formatted in accordance with Department of Ancient History guidelines, spell-checked, written in good English, and demonstrating both an understanding of the material in the lectures and readings and independent reflection on the subject of the assessment.

An overall mark of 50% or above must be achieved to complete the unit satisfactorily.   

This unit is offered externally only. There are no recorded lectures. The Unit Reader contains all lectures.

The unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient. - For technical support go to: http://mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/informatics/help - For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/guides.htm

Materials are available for the unit in Macquarie University Library's Reserve and online; see further Detailed Bibliography in iLearn.

Required texts:

AHPG817 Topics in Early Chinese History – Unit Reader (Macquarie University 2015). The Unit Reader is the main text-book for the course; it is sold by the Co-op Bookshop, tel. (02) 8986 4000, http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au.

See also under Assessment tasks: Book Review.

Recommended texts:

Dawson, Raymond, Sima Qian: the first emperor: selections from the Historical Records (Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 2007).

De Bary, William Theodore & Irene Bloom, Sources of Chinese tradition, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999).

Ebrey, Patricia B., The Cambridge illustrated history of China, 2nd ed. (Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010).

Gernet, Jacques, A history of Chinese civilization, 2nd ed. (Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

Hansen, Valerie, The open empire: a history of China to 1800 (New York & London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000); The open empire: a history of China to 1800. Second Edition (New York & London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2015).

Lewis, Mark E., The early Chinese empires: Qin and Han (Cambridge, Mass. & London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007).