Students

AHIX2251 – Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Art: Theory and Practice

2025 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Prof Javier Alvarez-Mon
javier.alvarez-mon@mq.edu.au
Contact via By appointment
A/Prof Linda Evans
linda.evans@mq.edu.au
Contact via By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
AHIX1250
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit introduces the theory and practice of ancient art with particular reference to ancient Egypt and the Near East. Topics to be explored include understanding the notion of "art" as applied to the archaeological and cultural contexts of ancient non-western cultures, understanding contemporary methodological and ethical issues in the study of art history and developing basic skills necessary for artistic analysis and interpretation. Material studied will include monumental and domestic architecture, sculpture, ceramics, metalwork, glyptic, and literary arts.

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: Outline the status and purpose of ancient art in the context of history, religion, politics and changes in social and cultural dynamics in the societies of ancient Egypt and the Near East.
  • ULO2: Evaluate the main methods of analysing and interpreting ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art from antiquity to present day.
  • ULO3: Outline the methodological and ethical issues associated with the study of ancient art.
  • ULO4: Describe, compare and analyse an ancient artefact and apply terminology, a method and methodological approach appropriate to art historical examination
  • ULO5: Find, analyse and critique primary and secondary sources pertaining to the study of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern visual culture, illustrating sound skills in research, and an ability to present the information in a written and oral format

General Assessment Information

PASSING MARK

To pass AHIX2251, you must complete all the assessments and achieve an overall mark of at least 50%.

PENALTIES

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

EXTENSION REQUESTS

Quiz and Tests: Extensions are not possible for the Online quiz, Midterm test, or Final test. In the event that you are unable to complete these assessments during the scheduled time, and have been approved for Special Consideration, you will be set an alternative written task to complete.

RELEASE OF RESULTS

Results for the Online quiz, Midterm and Final tests can be viewed via iLearn using the Gradebook tool.

FINAL MARKS

Grading decisions for each assessment task will be moderated against the set criteria and standards before task results are released. Please note that 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 'Results' in the Policies and Procedures section below.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Quiz 20% No 21/03/2025
Midterm Test 40% No 02/05/2025
Final Test 40% No 06/06/2025

Online Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 49 hours
Due: 21/03/2025
Weighting: 20%

 

Answer a series of questions on the lectures and required weekly readings. Complete the quiz using the iLearn quiz tool.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Outline the status and purpose of ancient art in the context of history, religion, politics and changes in social and cultural dynamics in the societies of ancient Egypt and the Near East.
  • Evaluate the main methods of analysing and interpreting ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art from antiquity to present day.
  • Outline the methodological and ethical issues associated with the study of ancient art.

Midterm Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 21 hours
Due: 02/05/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

An online test of acquired theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Outline the status and purpose of ancient art in the context of history, religion, politics and changes in social and cultural dynamics in the societies of ancient Egypt and the Near East.
  • Evaluate the main methods of analysing and interpreting ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art from antiquity to present day.
  • Outline the methodological and ethical issues associated with the study of ancient art.
  • Describe, compare and analyse an ancient artefact and apply terminology, a method and methodological approach appropriate to art historical examination
  • Find, analyse and critique primary and secondary sources pertaining to the study of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern visual culture, illustrating sound skills in research, and an ability to present the information in a written and oral format

Final Test

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 21 hours
Due: 06/06/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

An online test of acquired theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Outline the status and purpose of ancient art in the context of history, religion, politics and changes in social and cultural dynamics in the societies of ancient Egypt and the Near East.
  • Evaluate the main methods of analysing and interpreting ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern art from antiquity to present day.
  • Outline the methodological and ethical issues associated with the study of ancient art.
  • Describe, compare and analyse an ancient artefact and apply terminology, a method and methodological approach appropriate to art historical examination
  • Find, analyse and critique primary and secondary sources pertaining to the study of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern visual culture, illustrating sound skills in research, and an ability to present the information in a written and oral format

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

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

This unit will be taught following a flipped classroom model, in which students first gain exposure to new material outside of class via reading and watching recorded lectures, and then the tutorial time is used to do the harder work of assimilating that knowledge.

The unit is comprised of two key elements:

  1. Three hours of instruction: 1-2 hours of pre-recorded lectures and 1 hour tutorial delivered either on campus or asynchronously online (for Online-Flexible and OUA students); and
  2. Individual study and preparation.

Note:

  • Students are expected to attend all tutorials (or complete all tutorial activities online each week), unless there are extenuating circumstances.
  • Pre-recorded lectures will be available on the iLearn site before the week they are due. Students are expected to have watched the videos and completed the required lecture and tutorial readings before attending their scheduled tutorial.  

Unit Schedule

WEEKLY TOPICS

Week

Lecture topic

  

Tutorial topic

Assessment due

1

Seeing and looking

  

Unit introduction

 

2

Notions of art through the ages: Part 1

  

Learning to describe images

  

3

 Notions of art through the ages: Part 2   Learning to interpret the language of images: Style and iconography  

4

Ancient Near Eastern art: Glyptic arts

  

Looking at seals

 Online quiz (20%): Friday, March 21, 2025

5

Ancient Near Eastern art: Art and sacred spaces

  

Describing and undestanding sacred space: City of Gods

 

6

Ancient Near Eastern art: Secular vernacular architecture

  

Describing and understanding secular space: Design your ideal house

  
7

Ancient Near Eastern art: The invention of visual narrative

 

Tools of visual comunication

 

MID-SEMESTER BREAK: April 14 – April 25
8 Ancient Egyptian art: History   Looking at Egyptian art Midterm test (40%): Friday, May 2, 2025

9

Ancient Egyptian art: Basics

  

Decoding Egyptian art

 

10

 Ancient Egyptian art: 2D representations  

2D methodology: Epigraphy

 

11

Ancient Egyptian art: 3D representations

  

3D methodology: Shabtis

  

12

No lecture

  

No tutorial

 

13

No lecture

  

No tutorial

Final test (40%): Friday, June 6, 2025

 

WEEKLY STEPS

BEFORE TUTORIALS | Preparation

Step 1 | Lecture preparation

  • Watch the pre-recorded lectures and complete the required lecture readings in preparation for the weekly online quiz

Step 2 | Tutorial preparation

  • Complete the tutorial readings (available via iLearn) before attending class or posting online

DURING TUTORIALS | Knowledge Building

Step 3 | Engage with your peers

  • Participate in group discussions and class activities, either on campus or via online discussions

AFTER TUTORIALS | Consolidation

Step 4 | Consolidate your knowledge

  • Review your knowledge by completing an optional online quiz based on the weekly lecture and required readings.

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:

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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

The assessment requirements have changed since the last offering. In 2025, the Artistic Description and Analysis has been replaced by a Midterm test.

Unit information based on version 2025.02 of the Handbook