We explore the period of history through from the Late Iron Age and the time of Julius Caesar’s visits in the first century BCE to the fifth century CE and the much debated ‘end of Roman Britain’. A wealth of material is available to this study, some of which you will be able to handle through practical workshops: historical testimonies of ancient authors, epigraphy, coins, archaeological and architectural evidence. As we delve into this abundance of surviving evidence, we discover the history of the changes to the province under Rome. Exciting developments of towns, villas, the new infrastructure and commerce as well as, the deployment and impact of the Roman army and other institutions and cultural practices new to Britain shed light to what we know about this period of Roman history. At the same time, aspects of daily life in the province such as religious practice, consumption, burial, art and crafts reveals how transformative this time was, as we witness huge differences of wealth and life experience, from that of governors and elites to humble rural communities and enslaved people. We broaden our horizons by exploring the world of ‘barbaricum’ and the western provinces of empire: Roman Britain and Scotland and Ireland. All this material and processes lead us to put under the microscope terms and theories like ‘Romanization’, creolization, post-colonial perspectives, and identity, ethnicity and interactions are scrutinized through the various remains. You will learn how to use them correctly, in combination and in an evaluative and critical manner.
Lecture = 16 hours
Seminar and Workshop (artefact and archaeological materials practical) = 16 hours
Main Assessment Methods
1,500 word Investigative Report (40%).
2,000 word Essay (60%).
Reassessment Method: Single instrument 100% Essay (2,000 words)
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1) Systematically understand the key elements within ancient written sources and modern interpretative scholarship, material remains and topics in Romano-British studies.
2) Accurately apply the tools and procedures of textual, visual and material analysis, and the conceptual frameworks that result, to critically analyse the context of Roman Britain and the experiences of those who lived through that era.
3) Critically evaluate and understand current methods of interpretation within Classical Studies, Archaeology, Ancient History and in related fields.
4) Critically assess, through close engagement, material culture for its potential to elucidate patterns, choices and access to resources and types of lifestyle, consolidating and extending awareness and skills in examination and deduction
5) Demonstrate familiarity with the use of various types of primary source to appraise their nature and potential for synthesis, digest and wider dissemination of findings to a variety of audiences
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