Introduction to Ancient History

Course goals

After successfully completing the course ‘Introduction to Ancient History’, you will have achieved the following learning goals:

• describe and explain the most important events, structures and changes that took place during antiquity;
• identify, name, and explain different types of source material used in the study of ancient history;
• summarize and critically discuss several central scholarly debates in the study of ancient history;
• identify and analyse thesis statements, arguments, and the use of sources in modern secondary literature on ancient history;
• connect and integrate primary sources and secondary literature with knowledge provided in lectures and in the textbook;
• apply relevant academic skills (see below) during assignments and oral (classroom) discussions.

After completion, you will also have practiced the following academic skills:

• taking notes during lectures, summarizing key points, and posing relevant questions to lecturers;
• placing material culture in a historical context;
• using material culture as a primary source in historical research;
• analysing relevant scientific debates and defending or explain a standpoint on scholarly grounds;
• searching for (specialized) literature pertaining to a research question;
• developing academic writing skills through a written assignment.

Content

This course explores the history of Graeco-Roman civilization within the larger cultural context of the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Students will be offered an overview of the main political, socio-economic, religious and cultural developments in this epoch between ca. 800 BCE and 500 CE. The course consists of three elements.

First, the historical information provided by the textbook will be expounded and supplemented with visuals during the lectures, while specific themes and events will be explored in greater depth during the seminars. Throughout the course students will employ a combination of primary sources and modern literature to gain an understanding of the themes discussed. Furthermore, the seminars will provide insights into current scientific debates.

Second, the course addresses the importance of archaeological sources for the study of the ancient world. The students will participate in a workshop on material culture (in class or, circumstances allowing, at the Utrecht University Museum), following which they will prepare a written assignment. In the second part of the course students will prepare a second assignment (short film/ academic poster) on a specific archaeological site, placing it in relation to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Lastly, the course will provide an insight into the relevance and importance of ancient history for the present. Four transhistorical themes will be central: world history and globalization, cultural transformations and identity, politics and governance, and socio-economic processes.