Students

AHIX150 – The Archaeology of Ancient Israel and the Near East

2018 – S2 OUA

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Edward Bridge
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Edward Bridge
Kyle Keimer
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Recent discoveries in Israel such as the “House of David” inscription and reworked interpretive paradigms such as the “Low Chronology” have made the archaeology of ancient Israel a hotbed of controversy and debate. These debates rage even as archaeological work throughout the Near East continues to contribute to our understanding of the events, places, and characters mentioned in Ancient Near Eastern texts and the Hebrew Bible. This course will focus upon an integration of archaeological, literary, and historical data from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (ca. 3300 BC–AD 70) in Israel with the goal of evaluating this evidence and its relevance for understanding socioeconomic and political development, the biblical texts, and in particular the religion of ancient Israel. All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

General Assessment Information

Submission of Assignments: The excavation report assessment, quizzes, and tutorial worksheets/forum postings are to be submitted via the iLearn site by their respective due dates and times (which are all listed according to local Sydney time). Access to the internet and the ability to download and/or view unit materials are essential. Ability to work with word processing software and powerpoint/keynote is required for written and oral assessments, respectively. Further, an internet connection that allows for uploading a powerpoint presentation is also necessary. Any technical issue encountered with accessing unit materials and/or with submitting assignments should be directed to the IT department via ask.mq.edu.au. After lodging a complaint/request with them you must also notify me via email concerning the issue as soon as possible after it is discovered. Contacting me after an assessment's due date to say that you could not submit it on time will not result in an extension for that assessment unless IT provides me with a time-stamped notice.

Assignments will be assessed on their level of completion, coherence, grammar, and comprehension. A fuller set of guidelines for each assessment is provided above and/or will be provided in class/online at a later point in time.

Assessment tasks / assignments are compulsory and must be submitted on time. Extensions for assignments can only be granted for medical reasons or on compassionate grounds. Without documentation (medical or counselling certificates) or prior staff approval, late work will not be accepted. If required, applications for extensions should be made to me before the assignment's due date. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided (see also the clause below).

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.

Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

For Special Consideration Policy see under Policies and Procedures.

Note on Assessment - To complete the unit satisfactorily you will need to achieve an overall mark worth 50% or above. 

IMPORTANT NOTE ON FINAL MARKS: Please note with respect to the marks you receive for work during the session: that the marks given are indicative only; final marks will be determined after moderation. See further the note on Results in the Policies and Procedures section below.

It is highly recommended that you come to all tutorials (internals). Further, you should complete the readings and any other work for any given week before that week's meeting.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Quizzes 15% No Sunday of Weeks 2,4,6,8,10
Excavation Report Assessment 30% No Friday of Week 9
Tutorial Presentation 15% No End of Week 12
Tutorial Assignments 40% No Every Week

Quizzes

Due: Sunday of Weeks 2,4,6,8,10
Weighting: 15%

These short, ten-question quizzes will assess your knowledge of the course materials covered in the lectures and textbook readings. Each quiz will cover two weeks of content (e.g., Quiz 1 covers the content of Weeks 1 and 2; Quiz 2, the content of Weeks 3 and 4; etc.). Quizzes are taken online via the iLearn site and must be submitted by Noon (local Sydney time) on the Sunday of Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10.

Question types include multiple choice, matching, and true/false. You will have 10 minutes to take each quiz. Once you have started a quiz you have to finish it in that sitting; you cannot start and stop. If you do not finish your quiz within the 10-minute limit your quiz will be automatically submitted and any unanswered questions will be marked as incorrect and receive a zero score. If you start your quiz after 11:50 am on a Sunday, then you will have less than 10 minutes to complete the quiz. The quizzes close promptly at Noon on Sundays.

Each quiz is worth 3% of your overall mark/grade.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.

Excavation Report Assessment

Due: Friday of Week 9
Weighting: 30%

Write an analytical review of one of the following excavation reports (those in print that the library owns are marked with an (*) and are on reserve):

-*The Bronze Age Cemetery at ‘Ara (SER 8). Yuval Gadot (ed.). Emery and Clair Yass Publications in Archaeology: Tel Aviv. 2014.

-*Horvat ‘Uza and Horvat Radum: Two Fortresses in the Biblical Negev (TAU Monographs 25). Itzhaq Beit-Arieh. Emery and Clair Yass Publications in Archaeology: Tel Aviv. 2007. (DS110 .U99 B45 2007)

-Excavations at the City of David 1978-1985, Vol. V (Qedem 40). Donald T. Ariel (ed.). The Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Jerusalem. 2000. [Jstor/Multisearch]

-*Excavations by Kathleen M. Kenyon in Jerusalem 1961-1967, Volume III: the Settlement in the Bronze and Iron Ages. M. L. Steiner. Sheffield Academic Press: London. 2001.

-*Tel Mor: The Moshe Dothan Excavations, 1959-1960 (IAAR 32). Tristan J. Barako. Israel Antiquities Authority: Jerusalem. 2007.

-Excavations on the hill of Ophel, Jerusalem, 1923-1925. R.A.S. Macalister and J. Garrow Duncan. Palestine Exploration Fund: London. 1926. [online access at: http://www.etana.org/node/2740]

-The 1957 Excavation at Beth-Zur (Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 38). Ovid R. Sellers, Robert W. Funk, John L. McKenzie, Paul Lapp, and Nancy Lapp. American Schools of Oriental Research: Cambridge, MA. 1968. [Jstor/Multisearch: search for the series title]]

-*Tel Miqne-Ekron Excavations 1995-1996: Field INE East Slope Iron Age I (Early Philistine Period). Mark W. Meehl, Trude Dothan, and Seymour Gitin. W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research and the Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Jerusalem. 2006.

-Tel Qashish: A Village in the Jezreel Valley: Final Report of the Archaeological Excavations (1978–1987)​ (Qedem Reports 5). Ammon Ben-Tor, Ruhamma Bonfil, and Sharon Zuckerman. The Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Jerusalem. 2003. [Jstor/Multisearch]

-Yoqne'am II or III (Qedem Reports 6 or 7). Amnon Ben-Tor, and others. The Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Jerusalem. 2005 (both volumes). [Choose one of these volumes for your review. Volume II covers the Iron Age and Persian periods and Volume III covers the Middle and Late Bronze Ages] [Jstor/Multisearch].

 

 Your review should address the following questions:

  1. How was the report structured? Was its structure similar to other reports in the field? Did the structure make reading the report easy or cumbersome? Would you improve the report’s structure? If so, how? Were there sufficient illustrations? If not, what kind of illustrations would have been useful?    *This does not mean that you should focus on whether the report had an introduction or chapters, but is more analytical. Compare other site reports to yours. Does yours include discussions/summaries of the architecture? Ceramics? Both? Does it include specialist reports (e.g., chapters on jewellery, floral/faunal remains, stone objects, etc.), or is it limited to just chapters on architecture and/or pottery? If the report includes both architecture and pottery, were the two presented together or separate? If separate, why do you think the author(s) structured their report as such?
  2. After reading the report could you reconstruct what the site/excavation area looked like for the original inhabitants? That is, was it possible to establish the context for all the archaeological materials in a comprehensive manner? Could you figure out where the pottery came from in relation to the architecture? Were there specialist reports? How well integrated were those reports?
  3. What was the nature of the expedition (academic, salvage) and what were the guiding research goals? How well articulated were these goals and were they accomplished? What challenges faced the expedition and did their research goals change due to these challenges? Did the research goals change for other reasons?
  4. What, if any, changes in the understanding of the chronology of the region, distribution of specific types of material culture, production techniques, production centers, etc. resulted from your chosen excavation?
  5. What was the archaeological methodology employed by the directors of the excavation you chose? Where does this methodology fit within the broader history of archaeology in the Near East? Is the methodology that was used comparable to the “standard” methodology of the day, or did the directors have their own methodology? Did any new methodological changes result from the excavation you are reviewing?

Learning Outcomes

  1. Situate the chosen excavation within the historical development of the field of archaeology in the Near East.
    • At a minimum you must situate your excavation within the broad historical eras covered in class (i.e., early exploration, biblical archaeology, Syro-Palestinian archaeology, etc.). You may compare the excavation report/excavation methodology of your chosen site with those of other sites excavated at the same time. A list of dates for the major excavations in Israel will be posted on the iLearn page for you to view.
  2. Produce an analytical review of a standard type of literature for the field of archaeology.
    • This will require not only a close reading of the entire report, but a synthesizing of the data available within the report. Further, consideration of details/discussions not included in the report will be telling. The inclusion of, and ability to articulate, what is not presented in the chosen report is the hallmark of critical evaluation in archaeology. You will benefit by situating the specific context of your site within the broader geographical and historical context covered in class.
  3. Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Near East and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
    • Knowledge of these details will help you to ascertain the impact of the excavation you are reviewing.

Assessment Details

Length: 1500 words

Citation Style to Use: BASOR (Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research)

Marks Assessed On: See Rubric

Due: Friday of Week 9 by 5pm (Local Sydney Time)


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Tutorial Presentation

Due: End of Week 12
Weighting: 15%

Present a 3-minute oral presentation on any site, assemblage, or archaeological feature covered in this course. Think of your presentation as an oral encyclopedia article. It should include all the essential information about your topic that a person would want to know (e.g., date, location, size, material properties, interpretation, strata, history, excavators, etc.). As part of your oral presentation, you must include a visual accompaniment (i.e., a powerpoint presentation, appropriate images related to your topic. Videos are not acceptable accompaniments). 

The purpose of this assignment is to teach you how to condense a growing body of knowledge on many sites/assemblages/features (research) into a concise and coherent summary (synthesis) that provides interested parties all of the essential information about a given topic (presentation). The time limit is strict.

Marks are calculated on comprehension of your chosen topic, cohesion of your presentation, and comprehensiveness of your coverage of your topic.

Presentations for External/OUA students will be submitted via Voicethread on the iLearn page by the end of Week 12 (Friday at 5pm local Sydney time). Detailed instructions on how to submit your assessment will be provided on the iLearn page.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Tutorial Assignments

Due: Every Week
Weighting: 40%

Every week there will be readings and assessments for tutorials. These will focus on generating discussion of various issues in the archaeology and history of ancient Israel. To earn marks for these assessments you must read the assigned readings, complete any worksheets for a given week, and participate in the classroom discussion. Internal students should complete all work before coming to class. External or OUA students should complete all work by 5pm on Fridays, submitting their worksheets via the appropriate weekly forum (instead of classroom discussion, external/OUA students will make posts to forums).

Marks for this assessment will be tabulated twice over the course of the semester: a total for the first half of the semester will be provided, and a total for the second half of the semester will be provided. Each week is worth 4 points (2 points for completing the week's worksheet/forum posting(s) [grammar counts! If I cannot understand what you are saying, or if your answers are poorly written then you will not receive points for this component], 1 point for submitting the completed worksheet/posting on time, and 1 point for participation in classroom/forum discussions).

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Delivery and Resources

This class is offered internally and externally (OUA is external only). Internal students will meet in-class for tutorials (referred to as "workshops") while external students will access course material via the iLearn website. Every student, whether internal or external, will need internet access that allows the downloading of large video files and additional resources in order to pass this course. Additionally, access to a library and/or article database such as Jstor will be necessary to complete multiple of the assigments. If individual access to such databases is not possible, access is possible via the Macquarie Library website, although a proxy server may be necessary (for more see the "IT Help" link under the "Policies and Procedures" tab).

All lectures, assignments, and readings will be posted on the course's iLearn site for external students. Additional resources, including weblinks and additional directions will also appear there.

Lectures have all been recorded and divided into modules. Each module focuses on one historical period and is broken down further into segments that deal with specific issues/topics within any given historical period. Specific topics for discussion that will be addressed during tutorial/workshop time will be posted online for students. Tutorial/workshop topics will be made clear via the iLearn website each week.

Required Textbook:

Richard, Suzanne. 2003 Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader. Eisenbrauns: Winona Lake, IN. ISBN: 1575060833

  • This textbook is out of print but can be accessed digitally via the library's website. Print copies can be purchased from various online book distributors.

Recommended Texts:

Ben-Tor, Amnon (ed). 1992 The Archaeology of Ancient Israel. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. ISBN 0300059191

Mazar, Amihai. 1990 Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000-586 B.C.E. Doubleday, New York. ISBN: 0385425902

Stern, Ephraim. 2001 Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Volume II: The Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian Periods (732-332 B.C.E.). Doubleday, New York. ISBN: 0385424507

Meyers, Eric M. and Mark A. Chancey. 2012 Alexander to Constantine: Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, Volume III. New Haven, Yale University Press. ISBN: 9780300141795

 

NOTE: Readings from the textbook (Richard) appear in the Unit Schedule below as: Author's last name (page numbers) (e.g., Holladay (33-47)). If a reading does NOT come from Richard's book, it will appear as: Author Date: page numbers (e.g., Cohen 2011). Readings that do not come from Richard can be accessed via the Leganto link in iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Week

Lectures

Readings (*Any additional Readings for a given week will appear on iLearn)

Tutorials/Workshops (see iLearn for more details)

Assignments Due (every week except those marked with an (*) have additional tutorial readings/work due)

Week 1

Introduction, Historical Geography

Unit Guide; Holladay (33-47); Beitzel (pp.3-9)

Using Geography as the foundation of historical inquiry

 

Week 2

History of Biblical Archaeology

Rast (48-53); Davis (54-59)

Reading Archaeological Literature

Quiz 1

Week 3

Early Bronze Age

Richard (286-302)

Archaeological Concepts: Recording and Publication

 

Week 4

Middle Bronze Age

Ilan (331-342); Rendsburg (63-70)

ANE Languages and Scripts

 Quiz 2

Week 5

Late Bronze Age

Alpert Nakhai (343-348); Leonard (349-356)

Text as Artifact

 

Week 6

Iron Age I

Ackerman (391-397); Younker (367-374)

Pottery Analysis

Quiz 3

       

 

Week 7

 Iron Age IIA

Younker (375-382)

High vs. Low/Conventional Chronology

 

Week 8

 Iron Age IIB

Matthews (157-163)

ANE Art History

Quiz 4

Week 9

Iron Age IIC

Bloch-Smith (105-115)

The Archaeology of Legitimization (seals, scripts, arch)

 Excavation Report Assessment

Week 10

 Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods

Carter (398-412)

Empires, Warfare, and Change

Quiz 5

Week 11

 Hellenistic and Hasmonean Periods

Berlin (418-433)

Identity Formation in Ancient Israel and Judaism

 

Week 12

 Herod and Rome

Cohen 2011; Schiffman 1998:385-395

 

* Presentations

Week 13

 The 1st Jewish Revolt

Cohen 2011; Schiffman 1998:385-395

 

* Presentations

Policies and Procedures

Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide

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.

Extension Request

Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)

The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.

You need to show that the circumstances:

  1. were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
  2. were beyond your control
  3. caused substantial disruption to your academic work
  4. substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
  5. lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.

If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:

  1. Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
  2. Fill in your relevant details
  3. Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
  4. Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process

Outcome

Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.

OUA Specific Policies and Procedures

Withdrawal from a unit after the census date

You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.

If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.

If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Know the archaeological periodization of the ancient Southern Levant and Near East, key issues in the study of this area, and aspects of the cultures studied in this unit.
  • Identify methodological developments in the archaeology of ancient Israel.
  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Assessment tasks

  • Quizzes
  • Excavation Report Assessment
  • Tutorial Presentation
  • Tutorial Assignments

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.
  • Synthesize acquired knowledge and understanding to produce critical analytical compositions

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Analyse source material, including the archaeological record, ancient sources, and modern scholarship, the critiquing of texts and application of knowledge.

Changes from Previous Offering

Major renovation in structure of unit. Classroom flipped.

Replacement of lectures on the Neolithic and Chalcolithic with lectures on the history of Biblical Archaeology

Multiple new tutorial topics

Changes in assigned readings

Changes to assessment tasks