Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Gunner Mikkelsen
Contact via gunner.mikkelsen@mq.edu.au
AHH
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
39cp at 100 level or above or (6cp in AHIS or AHST or MHIS or HIST units at 200 level)
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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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.
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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:
Assessment criteria
The Tutorial Paper will be marked against the following criteria: (1) analysis of the primary source(s), (2) use of secondary works, (3) structure of argument, (4) formal presentation, including correct referencing, English language grammar, spelling and punctuation.
The Essay will be marked against the following criteria: (1) knowledge of the relevant subject matter, (2) the range of primary sources used and their analysis, (3) the range of secondary works consulted and the depth of engagement with them, (4) correct citation of sources, (5) structure of argument, (6) formal presentation including correct referencing, English language grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Submission of course work
The Essay and Tutorial Paper 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.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Tutorial Paper | 20% | No | Thursday Week 5 |
Essay | 40% | No | Friday Week 10 |
Exam | 40% | No | Thursday Week 13 |
Due: Thursday Week 5
Weighting: 20%
One tutorial paper of maximum 500 words (footnotes and bibliography are excluded from the word count). This should answer the tutorial question(s) for one of the weeks 3-5. Feedback for tutorial papers will usually be given within two weeks after submission.
Due: Friday Week 10
Weighting: 40%
One assessed essay, approx. 2,500 words on a topic selected from a list of essay titles which will be uploaded to iLearn in Week 3. The essay must be supplied with footnotes and a complete bibliography of primary and secondary sources recorded according to one of the accepted conventions. Feedback and a mark for the essay will usually be given within two weeks after submission.
Due: Thursday Week 13
Weighting: 40%
One 1.5-hr open-book written exam. This will be a take-home exam in week 13.
For lecture times please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://timetables.mq.edu.au.
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).
This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. All lectures will be recorded and 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
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 | Reading Week | ||
9 | Manichaeism meets Buddhism: Manichaean missionary techniques in Central Asia and China | ||
10 | The Church of the East (“Nestorian” Christianity) in Central Asia and Tang China | ||
11 | Spread of Zoroastrianism along the Silk Road | ||
12 | Zoroastrians in China: archaeological evidence | ||
13 | Exam |
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:
Undergraduate 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).
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 shown in iLearn, 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.
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://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.
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