Students
AHIS3271 – Religions along the Silk Road
2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Gunner Mikkelsen
Peter Edwell
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above or (20cp in AHIS or AHST or MHIS or HIST units at 2000 level)
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
Most of the world's major religions spread and flourished along the Silk Road. This unit studies the history, teachings, literature, art and archaeology of Buddhism, Manichaeism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism in Central Asia and North China in the first millennium of the CE. It explores themes related to cross-cultural transmission, translation, assimilation and reception. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Find, analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources and present theinformation in a written format to a high standard.
- ULO2: Evaluate how historical information may be extracted from ancient sources,written and archaeological.
- ULO3: Formulate arguments and articulate ideas to an advanced level.
- ULO4: Plan, revise and submit written work according to schedule.
General Assessment Information
Submission of course work
The Tutorial Essay and Research Essay must be submitted via Turnitin.
Extensions and penalties
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 listen to the lectures and reflect on them and do the set weekly readings. 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.
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.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Essay | 20% | No | 21/8/2020 |
| Essay | 40% | No | 23/10/2020 |
| Examination | 40% | No | Exam period |
Tutorial Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 21/8/2020
Weighting: 20%
500-word essay on one of the tutorial questions posted on iLearn
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Find, analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources and present theinformation in a written format to a high standard.
- Evaluate how historical information may be extracted from ancient sources,written and archaeological.
- Formulate arguments and articulate ideas to an advanced level.
- Plan, revise and submit written work according to schedule.
Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 23/10/2020
Weighting: 40%
2500 words
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Find, analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources and present theinformation in a written format to a high standard.
- Evaluate how historical information may be extracted from ancient sources,written and archaeological.
- Formulate arguments and articulate ideas to an advanced level.
- Plan, revise and submit written work according to schedule.
Examination
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Exam period
Weighting: 40%
Take-home exam
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Find, analyse and interpret primary and secondary sources and present theinformation in a written format to a high standard.
- Evaluate how historical information may be extracted from ancient sources,written and archaeological.
- Formulate arguments and articulate ideas to an advanced level.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Lectures: Recorded lectures will be made available through Echo360 on the unit's iLearn page. The first lecture will be via Zoom on 29 July.
Tutorials: Tutorials are on campus. The first tutorial is in week 2.
Required Texts: The following works are prescribed for the course:
FOLTZ, Richard C., Religions of the Silk Road: premodern patterns of globalization, 2nd ed. (New York: Palgrave, 2010).
HANSEN, Valerie, The Silk Road: a new history with documents (New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017).
Technology Used and Required:
This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. All recorded lectures will be made available here via the Echo360 system.
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
Unit Schedule
|
Week |
Lecture |
|
1 |
Introduction |
|
2 |
Religion and trade along the Silk Road |
|
3 |
Spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road |
|
4 |
Buddhism in Central Asia – the evidence from Turfan and Dunhuang |
|
5 |
Buddhism meets Confucianism and Daoism: the arrival of Buddhism in China |
|
6 |
Between China and India: Chinese Buddhist pilgrims on the Silk Road |
|
7 |
From Mesopotamia to China: the spread of Manichaeism along the Silk Road |
|
|
Mid-session break |
|
8 |
Manichaeism meets Buddhism: Manichaean missionary techniques in Central Asia and China |
|
9 |
Spread of the Church of the East Christianity along the Silk Road |
|
10 |
The Church of the East in China |
|
11 |
Spread of Zoroastrianism along the Silk Road |
|
12 |
Zoroastrians in China: archaeological evidence |
|
13 |
A melting pot no more: the fate of Buddhism, Manichaeism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism in Central Asia after the arrival of Islam |
Policies and Procedures
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
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 published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.