Guide to assessment items

Guidelines for preparing the assessment tasks as well as assessment criteria are available on iLearn. The assessment tasks are compulsory in this unit. Each assessment task has a due date and students are expected to submit their work on time.

Assessment Task 1: Podcast (40%)

This assessment asks you to engage with questions of scholarly ethics and representation in the study of the ancient world. You must design and record a podcast for a general and interested audience of 5 minutes to 7 minutes (absolute maximum). The +/- 10% does not apply for this assessment. A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which go over or under this limit. You are encouraged to use Adobe Express, Audacity, or another audio recording programme. Further instructions about submission are available on the unit's iLearn page.

Please note that the primary evidence discussed in your Podcast cannot be reused in the Blog or Source Analysis assessments.

Assessment Task 2: Blog (40%)

You will create a blog (1200 words, +/- 10%) that brings an ancient object to life while demonstrating rigorous scholarly engagement with primary evidence. A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which go over or under this limit. You will select one object from the AHIS3201 Object Trail (available on iLearn) and write a narrative supported by scholarly references throughout. Your blog must also integrate a textual primary source from the unit that illuminates a similar theme or aspect of gendered experience, comparing what each type of evidence reveals. A reflection section should engage with questions of uncertainty and the limits of ancient evidence. Further instructions about submission are available on the unit's iLearn page.

Please note that the primary evidence discussed in your Blog cannot be reused in the Podcast or Source Analysis assessments.

Assessment Task 3: Source Analysis (20%)

From the tutorial worksheets, you must select one topic only and develop a written analysis of approximately 1000 words (+/- 10%) to be submitted via Turnitin on Sunday 7th June 2026. A penalty of 5% will be applied to submissions which go over or under this limit. Your analysis must be based on a direct examination of the ancient sources in translation. You should demonstrate close engagement with the primary evidence, considering questions of authorship, audience, purpose, and historical context. Further instructions about submission are available on the unit's iLearn page.

Please note that the primary evidence discussed in your Source Analysis cannot be reused in the Podcast or Blog assessments.

Special Consideration

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 5 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. 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 non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. The link to locate relevant information and to request Special Consideration can be found via this link Special Consideration - Eligibility | MQ Sydney. 

Word Limit Penalty

With the exception of the podcast (which cannot exceed 5-7 minutes), a penalty of 5% will be applied to written submissions that are under or over the stated length in the Unit Guide.

Unit Requirements and Expectations

Classes

For lecture/tutorial times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website. This website will display up-to-date information on your classes. For any variations on this information, please consult the AHIS3201 iLearn website (which is accessible at the commencement of teaching session).

1. Lectures: There are usually two 1-hour lectures in most weeks of the session, which are pre-recorded and released via Echo360. It is expected that all students will audit all of the lectures. You are expected to reflect this commitment to learning this content in your assessments.
2. Tutorials and Discussion Forum: There is a tutorial (for Internal students) and a Discussion Forum (for External Students) for 12 weeks of the session. It is expected that all students will participate actively.

Each student will have undertaken the reading for each week’s tutorial and will contribute to the best of their ability to the discussion. A unit like this, drawing on such a broad range of material and different perspectives, works best when everyone brings their thoughts to the table. Participation in tutorials is considered a vital and rewarding part of the unit.

Required and Recommended Texts

The areas covered in this unit are too broad for a single set text. Students will, however, be asked to prepare 1-2 readings (which include translated excerpts of ancient primary sources) per week, available through Leganto. These which will be used for specific tutorials, and there are additional readings required for assessment preparation clearly marked on iLearn and on Leganto. 

In this unit emphasis is placed upon the direct examination of the ancient sources and evidence in translation. Students are expected to base all their work on a personal examination of these sources. It will not be sufficient simply to read modern studies on any topic; however sound and highly recommended these are: it will be essential to look first at the ancient sources on which all modern studies are necessarily based. 

The work which marked a major change in the academic landscape, Sarah B. Pomeroy's Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves. Women in Classical Antiquity (New York 1975) treats many of the periods covered by this unit. An electronic copy of Pomeroy is available via Leganto in the Macquarie University Library. A useful sourcebook which is available online via the Macquarie University Library is Marguerite Johnson's, Sexuality in Greek and Roman Literature and Society: A Sourcebook (London 2005).  Other recent general coverages include: Brook Holmes, Gender. Antiquity and its Legacy (London 2012); Sharon L. James and Sheila Dillon (eds), A Companion to Women in the Ancient World (Chichester 2012); Janet H. Tulloch (ed.), A Cultural History of Women in Antiquity (London 2013); Mark Masterson, Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz and James Robson (eds), Sex in Antiquity: Exploring Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World. Rewriting Antiquity (London; New York 2015); and S.L. Budin and J. MacIntosh Turfa (eds), Women in Antiquity: Real Women Across the Ancient World (London 2016).

Technology Used and Required

The unit has an iLearn page which can be accessed via your iLearn login. A personal computer and internet access are therefore required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. You should also familiarise yourself with Adobe Express for your assessments, which is free and available to all students. Technical issues will not be accepted as a ground for Special Consideration applications. If your device is not compatible with Adobe Express, you can use other open source software (e.g., Audacity for the podcast and Google Sites for the blog).

Available on iLearn one week before tutorials commence in Session 1.

Adjustments to the topics and order of the Podcast and Blog assessments in 2026. The Source Analysis will no longer have a weekly rolling deadline in 2026.

This unit is intended for all students, including those with mental or physical disabilities, illness, injuries, impairments, or any other condition that tends to negatively affect one’s equal access to education. If, at any point in the session, you find yourself not able to fully access the space, content, and experience of this course, you are welcome (but not required) to contact the unit convener.

For students with accessibility requirements, you are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services to ensure that we, as an institution, are supporting your learning. By making a plan through Accessibility Services, you can ensure accommodation without disclosing any information to your course convenors.

There are also a range of resources on campus that serve to support and improve student learning and wellbeing, including the Learning Skills Unit, Peer Support programs, resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, English Language support, and Student Wellbeing support and resources. Please reach out to these programs or contact the unit convener directly for further information.