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Course: 2019/2020

Prehistory and ancient history

(13791)

Dual Bachelor in Journalism and Humanities Studies (Plan: 414 - Estudio: 282)

Coordinating teacher: ALVAR EZQUERRA, JAIME

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: History, Geography and Art Department

Type: Basic Core

ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course: 1º

Semester: 1º

Branch of knowledge: Arts and Humanities

ObjectivesFurther information on this link

1. Knowledge of the long-term historical processes that affect the study of Prehistory and Early History. 2. Knowledge of economic, social, political and cultural processes in Antiquity with special emphasis on the most relevant aspects for the expert in Humanities. 3. Knowledge of the main historiographical trends concerning the Ancient World. 4. Knowledge of the interconnection between past and present. 5. Acquisition of basic understandings regarding the sources and the methodology of the subject. a. Archaeology as an instrumental source and its problems. Current trends for the analysis of cultures with and without writing. b. Writings in the Ancient World and the problems arising from the use of the written sources. 6. Acquisition of skills in locating and using the different sources of information in the field of the Classical Studies (ancient sources and secondary literature). 7. Acquisition of specific skills in developing the ability to analyze and synthesize historical problems, as well as to undertake book reviews and basic research. 8. Acquisition of skills related to research and information management.

Description of contents: programme

UNIT 1. PREHISTORY Item 1. Prehistory: - Outline of the process of humanization. - The economy of hunter-gatherers. - The origins of abstraction: language, deposition of corpses and art. - The transition to the Neolithic Age. - The economy of production and the urban revolution. UNIT 2. THE MIDDLE EAST AND EGYPT Item 2. The origin of the state in Mesopotamia and Egypt and its evolution until the end of the third millennium. Item 3. The second millennium in the Middle East and Egypt. - The first half of the second millennium: the consolidation of empires. - The second half of the second millennium: the unstable balance between empires and palatial states. Item 4. The first millennium in the Middle East and Egypt. - Large territorial empires, Assyria and Babylonia. - The small eastern realms. The Persian Empire. Egypt. UNIT 3. GREECE Item 5. The Greek world, from its origins to the Homeric times. Item 6. The origins of the polis. The Archaic period in Hellas. Item 7. Greece in the Classical times. Item 8. Greece in the fourth century and the conquests of Alexander the Great. Item 9. The Hellenistic world. UNIT. ROME Item 10. The origins of Rome and the early Republic. Item 11. The imperialist Republic until Julius Caesar. Item 12. Augustus. Item 13. The Early Empire. Item 14. The Late Antiquity.

Learning activities and methodology

Total hours of student work : 150 h. Number of hours : Basic teachings : 21 h ( 14 classroom sessions of 1.30 h ) . Following the course schedule, the keys for the study of each topic will be presented to the students in order to provide them with an understanding of the historical processes that they will have to address in their individual training. Practical teachings: Tasks ( text commentaries , reviews, questionnaires , forums and work) : 21 h given in 14 h of face-to-face classes of 1:30 h each. Specialised tutorials (online): 16 h. Individual autonomous learning : 98 h . a ) Study of basic lessons : 50 h. b ) Study - development of practical works : 48 h. Assessment tests and / or exams: 10 h. Assessment test and / or written exams : 3 h.

Assessment System

The appraisal system is based on the acquisition of the general and specific knowledge of the course (the fulfilment of academic essays and tasks) as well as the skills and capabilities described in the course programme (use of sources and literature, preparation of synthesis). Consequently, the evaluation consists of three parts:

1) A written test (60% of the final mark) to be hold at the end of the academic year and which is composed of two exercices:
        a) The student must develop a personal synthesis of a given topic, so that he/she may prove his/her critical thinking with regard to the historical analysis and synthesis, as well as the knowledge gained from the study (91,5% of the exam mark).
        b) The student must contextualize historically five archaeological objects (8,5% of the exam mark).

2) Coursework. To access this part of the assessment, students will have to attend at least to 85% of the lessons. This section can reach up to 20% of the final grade, a percentage which is distributed in two types of activities:
       a) The accomplishement of the four tasks that are specified in the course schedule, one for each of its thematic blocks (Prehistory, Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome). Every task may be qualified up to 8% of the final grade of the course, the four works together thus reaching 36%. To aim for this percentage,  it is compulsory to deliver 85% of the required tasks.  
       b) Participation in the thematic debates held in the classroom or at the forums of the Aula Global. It may be qualified up to 4% of the final grade. To aim for this percentage, it is necessary to take part in 85% of the debates. 

3) Preparation of an optional final essay (up to 20% of the final mark). The students, in groups of three or four persons, will perform the role of tourist guides planning and carrying out a travel, in space and time, to a region or to a people from Antiguity.  As for the format of the work, it will correspond to a medium from the field of the "digital narratives", like a blog or a digital publication. Further details about this essay will be given in class. 
 on a particular people from a list provided by the teacher, in which a historical and cultural synthesis will be offered. In addition to paper filing and its copy on the platform of the course, students will have to expose in class. This part will activate only in case that the number of students in the practical classes is less than 25. If there is more students than 25, the score corresponding to this part will be included in part 2).

Additionally, students will be able to obtain extra marks for the accomplishement of the voluntary tasks indicated as such in the course schedule, as long as the final mark achieved from the compulsory works is lower than 10.

% end-of-term-examination 60
% of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40

Basic Bibliography

1) V. FERNÁNDEZ. Prehistoria. El largo camino de la humanidad. alianza. 2008
2) J. ALVAR et al.. Manual de Historia Universal 2. Historia Antigua,. H16. 1998
3) P. BARCELÓ. Breve Historia de Grecia y Roma. alianza. 2010
4) LOS MANUALES INDICADOS SON LOS DE REFERENCIA INICIAL.. Pueden ser sustituidos, con la aprobación del coordinador, por otros como:. todas. 2010 en adelante
5) A. LEROI-GOURHAN,. La Prehistoria en el mundo.. Akal. 2003
6) J. SANMARTÍN, J.M. SERRANO. Historia Antigua del Próximo Oriente. Mesopotamia y Egipto,. Akal. 2004
8) J.M. ROLDÁN. Historia de Roma. Universidad de Slamanca. 1999

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.