Group 2 Optional Courses
These optional courses will provide students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills and to explore particular aspects or periods of the past which reflect teaching/research areas taught in the School of History Archaeology and Religion including broadly archaeology, prehistory, ancient history, medieval history, early-modern and modern history.
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Group 2 Optional Courses
Ancient Empires
The ancient world is defined by its empires. This course will consider some of the great empires of the ancient world, from Assyria to Rome. It will seek to identify the causes and methods of imperial expansion, and the ideological justifications for imperial rule.
Art, Archaeology and Culture in Ancient Greece
This course explores the art and archaeology of Greece from the Bronze Age to the end of the Classical period. It deals with sculpture, architecture, painted pottery and wall painting, and places these artistic developments in their social, political and historical context.
Bringing the Past to Life? History, Historians and Television
Who are history TV programmes for? What can studying history documentaries tell us about the way that historians and TV producers approach their craft? This summer school will explore the styles and techniques that the makers of historical documentaries employ to ‘reconstruct’ the past.
Celtic Folklore in Britain and Ireland
Celtic folklore often conjures up visions of mystical spirits and ancient worlds. This course aims to look beyond such romantic notions and consider the varied range of folklore in Britain and Ireland. It will examine how people in the past viewed their world and how folklore has been adapted in modern life.
Past Perspectives of Disability
Is the concept of disability a modern one? Were there many disabled people in the past? How was disability viewed by past cultures - with sympathy, hostility, indifference? Using early modern England (c. 1500-1800) as a case study this course will attempt to address some of these questions.
The Archaeology of Death and Burial
Death is a universal human experience, but the variety of responses is staggering. How can we make sense of this diversity? And what can this tell us about past societies? This summer school introduces the study of funerary archaeology and uses both archaeological and anthropological techniques to answer these questions.
Magic in the Ancient World
In many societies of the ancient world magic was seen as absolutely real and played an important role in how people lived. This course will explore magical practices and theories in ancient Near Eastern, Greek and Roman cultures. Using literary and historical texts as well as visual and material artefacts and evidence, this course will examine a wide range of magical practices and techniques including amulets, drugs and incantations, curse tablets, sacrifice, divination, shape-changing and necromancy.
