ARMWW: Beyond the Written Word: Archaeological Perspectives on Historical Societies

Module code: ARMWW

Module provider: Archaeology; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Brandon Fathy , email: b.h.fathy@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module offers an introduction to current issues and debates in the research of historical archaeology. The module aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the contribution of archaeology to approaching and understanding historical periods. The module examines five key themes (urbanism, climate, literacy and bureaucracy, religion, and cultural interactions) and contrasts these across three key periods and regions (Mesopotamia, Rome and the medieval period).  

The aims of the module are to: 

• Develop a systematic understanding and demonstrate a critical awareness of the range of sources used by historical archaeologists: features, artefacts, written records, and environmental data 
• Use archaeological evidence to investigate key aspects of historical societies: transformations, adaptation to climate, ritual and religion, urban development, bureaucracy and writing systems, and cultural interactions beyond frontiers 
• Critically evaluate the character and quality of historical archaeology methods and techniques, including the character of the professional discipline today. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Provide a critical assessment of the main issues and debates of historical archaeology  
2. Critically evaluate archaeological and historical sources  
3. Develop independent interpretations of material through self-directed research  
4. Provide a critical reading of course material and to discuss their conclusions in class  

Module content

This module offers an introduction to issues and debates in historical archaeology, comparing and contrasting three key periods and regions (Mesopotamia, Rome and the medieval period). We adopt a thematic approach, demonstrating the value of an integrated approach to archaeological and textual evidence. Key themes cover  

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• climate and sustainability 
• bureaucratic systems 
• cultural interactions within and across frontiers and religion 
• beliefs and burials.  

The module covers each of the themes over two weeks. Within that two week period, students will contrast evidence from an earlier (Mesopotamia, Rome) and later (medieval) period. The first week will be dedicated to methodology and approaches, particularly and tensions and potentials and combining archaeological, historical, and historical research. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module will be taught through 2-hour lecture/seminars. Lectures will be used to introduce complex topics and individual tutorials provided to discuss essays. Students will be expected to contribute by presenting critiques of set reading. 

The module will incorporate an instructive external visit a practical workshop examining and analysing primary archaeological material,  

The summative assessment will comprise one 3,000-word essay and one 1,000-word exercise in which students design a written and pictorial heritage display that applies the theoretical framework from one of the module themes to an historical archaeological site of the student’s choice. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Draft essay plan for the summative essay assessment.

Reassessment

Additional costs