Students
AHIX8221 – Caravan Cities
2021 – Session 1, Fully online/virtual
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face-to-face and online 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
Bronwen Neil
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MAncHist (OUA) or GradCertAncHist (OUA)
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
The unit aims to combine archaeology with history in the study of a number of key cities of the Roman Near East. The Silk Road and the Frankincense Road brought great prosperity to a number of cities of the Roman East, especially Petra, Palmyra and Dura Europos. Much of the history of these cities is written from a combination of archaeological reports and literary sources. Students will be given the opportunity to learn how to evaluate archaeological evidence against extant literary sources and also to study the architectural history of the Roman Near East.and how their histories aligned with the growth of long-distance trade through the area. The Silk Roads and the Frankincense Road brought great prosperity to a number of cities of the Roman East, especially Petra, Palmyra and Dura Europos. Much of the history of these cities is written from a combination of archaeological reports and literary sources. Students will be given the opportunity to learn how to evaluate archaeological evidence against extant literary sources and also to study the architectural history of the Roman Near East. |
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: Analyse and express judgement about the development of trade in the Roman Near East and specific features of the main cities involved in this trade in oral and written form.
- ULO2: Interpret written and archaeological evidence and express appreciation and understanding of their context and modern interpretations of them.
- ULO3: Work with and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit in both oral and written form
- ULO4: Demonstrate the ability to draw together and judge pre-selected and self-located evidence to provide an analysis of trade in the Roman Near East and an important element of the cities involved in this trade.
General Assessment Information
Late Submission Penalty: Written Assessments: 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.
Discussion paper/Short Essay (1,500 words)
Due: 5pm, Friday 9 April Weighting: 20%
Choose only one of the three questions below.
- What are the important categories of evidence for the involvement of Dura Europos in long-distance (caravan) trade? Discuss the problems of identifying and interpreting archaeological evidence for long-distance and local trade with reference to Dura.
- What are the important categories of evidence for the involvement of Palmyra in long-distance (caravan) trade? Discuss the problems of identifying and interpreting archaeological evidence for long-distance and local trade with reference to Palmyra.
- What are the important categories of evidence for the involvement of Petra in long-distance (caravan) trade? Discuss the problems of identifying and interpreting archaeological evidence for long-distance and local trade with reference to Petra.
Major Essay (3000 words)
Due: 5pm, Friday 4 June. Weighting: 50%
What role did long-distance trade play in the ancient Roman economy? To what extent was local, regional and long-distance trade a feature of Dura Europos, Palmyra and Petra in the Hellenistic and/or Roman periods?
Blog article
Due: 30 April Weighting: 10%
A weblog (blog) focusing on the impact of the war in Syria on ancient archaeological sites, especially Palmyra and Dura Europos. More information will be provided on this topic in week 1 of the unit.
Contributions to online discussions
Due: Weekly Weighting: 20%
Students are expected to actively participate in online discussions which will be prompted by the unit convenor during the semester.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Essay | 50% | No | 04/06/2021 |
| Weekly written contributions to online discussions. | 20% | No | Weeks 2-13 |
| Discussion paper | 20% | No | 09/04/2021 |
| Blog | 10% | No | 30/04/2021 |
Research Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 04/06/2021
Weighting: 50%
3,000 word research essay focussing a broad question related to the material covered across the entire unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse and express judgement about the development of trade in the Roman Near East and specific features of the main cities involved in this trade in oral and written form.
- Interpret written and archaeological evidence and express appreciation and understanding of their context and modern interpretations of them.
- Work with and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit in both oral and written form
- Demonstrate the ability to draw together and judge pre-selected and self-located evidence to provide an analysis of trade in the Roman Near East and an important element of the cities involved in this trade.
Weekly written contributions to online discussions.
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Weeks 2-13
Weighting: 20%
Weekly written contributions to online discussions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse and express judgement about the development of trade in the Roman Near East and specific features of the main cities involved in this trade in oral and written form.
Discussion paper
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 09/04/2021
Weighting: 20%
1,500 word essay from a selection of questions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Analyse and express judgement about the development of trade in the Roman Near East and specific features of the main cities involved in this trade in oral and written form.
- Interpret written and archaeological evidence and express appreciation and understanding of their context and modern interpretations of them.
- Work with and respond to the views of staff and other students in the unit in both oral and written form
- Demonstrate the ability to draw together and judge pre-selected and self-located evidence to provide an analysis of trade in the Roman Near East and an important element of the cities involved in this trade.
Blog
Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 30/04/2021
Weighting: 10%
A blog focusing on the impact of modern human activity on ancient archaeological sites.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Interpret written and archaeological evidence and express appreciation and understanding of their context and modern interpretations of them.
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
Recorded lectures are available via Echo 360 on the unit i-learn page.
Unit Schedule
See schedule in Bibliography and unit resources file on i-learn page.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). 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
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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.
Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook