Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Associate Professor Andrew Gillett
Contact via andrew.gillett@mq.edu.au
W6A 502
Tuesdays1.00-2.00 or by appointment
Tutor
Dr Genevieve Young
Contact via genevieve.young@mq.edu.au
W6A 510
By appointment
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
How do the ancient world and the modern world fit together? Where did the Roman Empire, and its older neighbour Persia, go? Late Antiquity (c. 250–750 CE) was a period of profound transition that crucially shaped the world we know today. This introductory survey examines how both Christianity and Islam arose from the classical world, while charting the origins of European states, Rome's 1000 year continuation in Byzantium, and the creation of the Islamic caliphate. Pivotal changes in society and culture are studied through texts concerning such figures as Attila, Anglo-Saxon monks, and the earliest Islamic poets.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Submission of Written Assignments
Submission of Tutorial Paper and Research Essay: The Tutorial Paper and Research Essay are to be submitted through TurnItIn via the iLearn unit webs.
Policies on Written Assessment: Extensions, Late/Early Submission, Length
Extensions can only be granted in exceptional cases and may only be sought in consultation with the unit convenor and before the assignment is due.
Late assignment policy (Department of Ancient History)
Assessment tasks / assignments are compulsory and must be submitted on time. Barring genuine emergencies, extensions will not be granted without a valid and documented reason (e.g. medical certificate), and must be arranged in advance with the appropriate tutor. Late submissions will be penalised by 2% for each day (including weekends) the assignment task is late. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided.
Length policy: Essays exceeding or falling short of the specified word lengths will attract a penalty: divergences of more than 10% will attract a penalty of 10%.
Assignment tasks handed in early will be marked and returned with other papers (i.e. not before the due date).
For Disruption of Studies Policy see under Policies and Procedures.
Expectations of the student, and Satisfactory Completion of the Unit
Following are the components which you are required to undertake in order to complete the unit satisfactorily:
a. Attendance:
- twelve weeks of lectures (two hours each week)
- eight tutorial meetings, seven of which require preparation (close reading of texts and consideration of suggested issues)
Attendance at tutorials is recorded, and is a prerequisite for the tutorial participation mark. Absence from more than one tutorial without written explanation (e.g. medical certificate) will result in loss of the tutorial mark. Attendance at tutorials, however, is only a prerequisite for the tutorial mark; active participation, demonstrating significant preparation is necessary to secure a mark. Attendance at lectures is not recorded, but note that the final exam is based on the lectures, Lecture and Tutorial Readings, tutorial work, and the textbook; non-attendance at lectures will result in a poor exam mark. For exam preparation, it is also necessary to keep a Research Journal (see below).
b. Preparatory readings:
- self-guided Lecture Readings from the unit Reader (AHIS120 Readings: Late Antiquity – A Florilegium) to prepare for each of the unit modules
- self-guided readings from the set textbook (McEvedy, The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History)
- Tutorial Readings from the unit Reader (AHIS120 Readings: Late Antiquity – A Florilegium) to prepare before tutorials
c. Maintaining a Research Journal: as part of the Second Essay and as essential preparations for the Examination (details on iLearn site).
d. Assessment: all assessment items (Tutorial Participation, Tutorial Paper, Research Essay, Examination) must be attempted in order to obtain a grade in any MQ unit, and an overall mark of 50% must be obtained to pass the unit.
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Tutorial Participation | 10% | Weeks 2 to 12 |
Tutorial Paper | 20% | Tuesday 2 September 11.59pm |
Research Essay | 40% | Tuesday 28 October 11.59pm |
Exam and Research Journal | 30% | Central Examination period |
Due: Weeks 2 to 12
Weighting: 10%
Tutorials will consist of group-work or whole class-work activities, and some very short written activities will be undertaken in some tutorials. Attendance at tutorials will be recorded, and is a prerequisite for the Tutorial Participation mark. Absence from more than one tutorial without written documentation (e.g. medical certificate) will result in loss of the tutorial mark. Attendance at tutorials, however, is only a prerequisite for the tutorial mark: active participation, demonstrating significant preparation, is necessary to secure a mark.
Due: Tuesday 2 September 11.59pm
Weighting: 20%
Tutorial Paper: Government and Religion in the Later Roman Empire
The Tutorial Paper aims to develop skills in analysing sources for data. The assignment will be based on readings prepared for the Week 3 tutorial. Full details of the assignment task, supporting materials, and assessment criteria will be provided on the iLearn unit website.
The length of the Tutorial Paper is 1,000 words.
The Tutorial Paper is to be submitted through TurnItIn via the iLearn unit website.
Due: Tuesday 28 October 11.59pm
Weighting: 40%
Researching Late Antiquity in MQ Library
The Research Essay aims to develop basic research skills needed to gain familiarity of broad new fields of knowledge. Full details of the assignment task, supporting materials, and assessment criteria will be provided on the iLearn unit website.
The length of the Research Essay is 2,000 words.
The Research Essay is to be submitted through TurnItIn via the iLearn unit website.
Due: Central Examination period
Weighting: 30%
Examination and Research Journal
The examination will be scheduled centrally. It will be 2 hours. No unit materials will be permitted in the examination.
Part of the examination will comprise unseen short answer and essay questions. The format will be described in class.
The other part of the examination will be a pre-circulated question, which will be provided in class, addressing research skills. In preparation for this question, students are required to maintain a Research Journal throughout the second half of the Session, as they undertake their Research Essay. The Research Journal will not be marked, but will be necessary in order to complete the examination.
Text Books
Required texts and materials: It is essential to buy these two items from the Coop Bookstore on campus:
(1) AHIS120 Readings: Late Antiquity: A Florilegium (this is essential for all tutorials, and for the lecture
program)
(2) Colin McEvedy, The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History (Harmondsworth, 1992)
Online iLearn Site
This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ 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
All lectures will be recorded on Echo360, and PowerPoint slides posted (after lectures) on the iLearn site.
Lecture, Tutorial, and Assessment Schedule
(A more detailed program of lectures will be posted on the iLearn site)
Week 1 5 August |
Lectures: Introduction (no tutorial this week) |
Week 2 12 August |
Modules 1-2: The Two Superpowers of Late Antiquity Module 1: The Later Roman Empire Lectures: The Later Roman Empire Tutorial I: The Late Antique-Thought World |
Week 3 19 August |
Lectures: The Later Roman Empire (continued) Tutorial II: Roman Imperial Legislation and The Christian Church |
Week 4 26 August |
Module 2: Sasanian Iran Lectures: Sasanian Iran Tutorial III: The Shahs and Zoroastrianism |
Week 5 2 September |
Lectures: Sasanian Iran (continued) (no tutorial this week) Tutorial paper due Tuesday 2 September 11.59pm |
Week 6 9 September |
Modules 3-5: Three Heirs of Antiquity Module 3: Early Byzantium Lectures: Early Byzantium Tutorial IV: Iconography of Rulership |
Week 7 16 September |
Lectures: Early Byzantium (continued) Tutorial V: Byzantine Diplomacy Mid-semester recess (2 weeks) |
Week 8 7 October |
Lectures: Early Byzantium (continued) Tutorial VI: Essay Development Workshop (no readings) |
Week 9 14 October |
Module 4: Early Medieval Western Europe Lectures: Early Medieval Western Europe Tutorial VII: Centre and Periphery: Anglo-Saxon England |
Week 10 21 October |
Lectures: Early Medieval Western Europe (continued) (no tutorial this week) |
Week 11 28 October |
Module 5: The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates Lectures: The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates (no tutorial this week) Essay due Tuesday 28 October 11.59 |
Week 12 4 November |
Lectures: The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates (continued) Tutorial VIII: Abbasid Baghdad: The Founding of the City, and Legal Thought |
Week 13 11 November |
Lectures: Two videos, on Sasanian Iran and early Islam (a pre-recorded guest lecture) (no lecture or tutorial this week)
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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Date | Description |
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07/11/2014 | Lecture and tutorial schedule updated. |
17/10/2014 | Error in list of tutorials corrected -- no tutorials will be held in Weeks 10 and 11, tutorial will be held in Week 12, no tutorial in Week 13. |