Undergraduate Modules
The Archaeology and History of Athens
MODULE CODE: TBC
OPTION: AH/CS
TAUGHT: Lent term
MODULE AUTHORS: Drs Errietta Bissa, Louise Steel
LEVEL: 5
CREDITS: 20
TEACHING METHODS:
Lectures: 20 hours (10%)
Seminars: n/a
Field visits: 1 (28%)
Directed Learning: 40 hours(20%)
JACS CODE: VVD4
AIM(S)
To enable students :
- To achieve a working academic knowledge of ancient Athens and its environs
- To learn and evaluate museum and site presentation
- To evaluate ancient remains in situ and connect them with the literary source material
- To demonstrate an awareness of how archaeological sites are presented to the public
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this module students should be able to:
A. Subject specific skills and knowledge
- demonstrate knowledge of a range of ancient sites of major archaeological and historical significance, via lectures, reading, and first-hand experience and observation
- present a coherent account of the history and archaeology of the Athens during antiquity
- identify the ways in which archaeological remains (on sites and in museums) are relevant to key issues in ancient historical studies such as democracy, urbanisation, and the political and religious life of the ancient city
- appreciate and grapple with the problems of interpreting ancient evidence in order to answer historical questions
- evaluate the interplay between literary and archaeological sources in the creation of past and present historical narratives
- debate a range of key issues (eg. identity; political and private life; the use of space) both on site and in subsequent written assignments
- analyse how public understanding of the Ancient World is influenced by current approaches to site presentation and interpretation
B. Transferable skills and knowledge
- demonstrate appropriate written skills
- present written work in a manner appropriate for a relevant/professional audience.
- access ad employ the relevant e-resources for the course.
- demonstrate critical, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- demonstrate independent learning skills through the use of library and electronic resources.
- Demonstrate appropriate oral presentation skills
CONTENT
Athens was one of the most important cities in antiquity, particularly the Greek Archaic and Classical periods. Today it is an archaeological hub with a great concentration of archaeological sites and museums. Athens is exceptional since a great amount of historical information from antiquity has survived regarding its topography and history. The course covers the history (particularly archaic, classical and imperial) and archaeology of the city and its environs, concentrating on the religious and political remains, as well as the social milieu of the ancient city.
ASSESSMENT
Examination: n/a
Course work: One on-site presentation (20%)
One reflective presentation write-up (30%)
One reflective journal of the fieldtrip focusing on a given theme (50%)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Essential
- Pausanias Description of Greece Book 1 (Attika)
- Camp, J.M. 2001. The Archaeology of Athens. London: Yale University Press.
- Coulson, W.D.E., O. Palagia, T.L. Shear, H.A. Shapiro, and F.J. Frost (eds.) 1994. The Archaeology of Athens and Attica Under the Democracy: Proceedings of an International Conference Celebrating 2500 Years Since the Birth of Democracy in Greece, held at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, December 4-6, 1992. Oxford: Oxbow.
- Hamilakis, Y. 2007. The Nation and its Ruins: Antiquity, Archaeology, and National Imagination in Greece. Oxford: OUP.
- Hurwitt, J. M. The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present. Cambridge: CUP
- Hurwitt, J. M. 2004. The Acropolis in the age of Pericles. Cambridge: CUP.
- Neils, J. 2001. The Parthenon Frieze. Cambridge: CUP.
- Woodford, S. 1981. The Parthenon. Cambridge: CUP.
- Yalouri, E. 2001. The Acropolis: Global Fame, Local Claim. Oxford: Berg.
Updated: 09/09/2009
If there is something you think should be added to or changed in these pages, please contact Errietta Bissa.
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Undergraduate Studies
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