Year
Bachelor year 2.
Admission requirements
This is a seminar with a limited amount of participants (20 students), for Archaeology students exclusively.
Description
This course will explore various aspects of the transformation of Late Antiquity into Byzantium (ca. 300-900 C.E.) based on archaeological evidence. How did the Late Roman world survive in the East? And what was ‘Byzantium’?
There will be a focus on the transformation of both towns and countryside, from the empire’s new capital Constantinople to rural settlements in Jordan, Syria and the Mediterranean.
Apart from famous buildings and landmarks such as the Hippodrome and the Hagia Sophia in modern Istanbul, attention will be paid to trade and economy, power systems and everyday life conditions. Furthermore, the rise of new religions (Christianity and Islam) will be treated, as well as their impact on the cultural transformation and interaction of people in the Near East and the Mediterranean, based on archaeological evidence.
The course starts with an introduction to Byzantine archaeology by the lecturer. The successive meetings will include a short presentation by students on themes which will be explored during the seminar.
Course objectives
After this course, students
have obtained primary knowledge about the political, religious and cultural changes that took place in the Near East and in the Mediterranean between 300-900 C.E.;
can reflect upon the key archaeological data on which these conclusions are based;
have the ability to critically reflect on both data and their interpretation in discussions and in writing.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the BA2 time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Seminar with student group presentations on set themes;
Reading list.
Course load
The course load will be distributed as follows:
6x4 hours of lectures (1,5 ec);
280 pages of literature (2 ec);
Final essay on a set research question (2,000 words) + abstract of 500 words (1,5 ec).
Assessment method
Presentation + assignments (among which a short abstract of 500 words) (40%);
Active participation in the class discussions (10%);
Final essay of 2,000 words (50%).
A retake is only possible for the final essay, and only if all other requirements have been met and a serious and complete first final essay has been submitted.
All assessment deadlines (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the BA2 examination schedule.
Deadlines for assignments are included in the course syllabus.
Reading list
The reading list will be published on BlackBoard prior to the first meeting.
Registration
Registration via uSis is mandatory.
The Administration Office will register all BA1 students for their tutorials (not lectures; register via uSis!).
BA2, BA3, MA/MSc and RMA/RMSc students are required to register for all lectures and tutorials well in time.
Start registration for the BA2 seminars:
Series 1: 16 September 2019, 07:00 hrs
Series 2: 13 January 2020, 07:00 hrs
Series 3: 24 February 2020, 07:00 hrsThe Administration Office registers all students for their exams, students are not required to do this in uSis.
Contact information
For more information about this course, please contact prof. dr. J.A.C. (Joanita) Vroom.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.