Teaching the Core Unit

Ancient Civilisation1

TQA 3

COURSE GUIDE

This Guide must be read in conjunction with the accredited course document. It contains advice to assist teachers delivering the course.

OVERVIEW OF COURSE

This course adopts a thematic approach to the study of ancient civilisations. The purpose of this thematic approach is to place emphasis upon the study of ancient civilisations rather than ancient history. Importance is placed on social issues, developments in social organisation and human understanding, and interactions between individuals and their society. Such an approach encourages learners to develop: a comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelationship between individuals and their societies, and between the various elements of a society; generic and discipline-specific skills and knowledge within meaningful contextual frameworks; and a deeper appreciation of the relevance of historical investigation to their own society and lives.

TEACHING THE CORE UNIT

As noted in the course document, students are expected to undertake a study of core material relating to the ancient civilisation under consideration. The Core Unit consists of an introduction to the geography, climate, political systems, historical outline, basic chronology, and the nature of the surviving evidence for the civilisation under study. The purpose of the core is to place specific themes and topics selected for detailed examination are seen within the wider context of the ancient society under consideration. Thus, for example, in addition to developing a detailed knowledge and understanding of a civilisation’s architecture (if Theme: Arts, Topic: Art & Architecture was under study), students would be expected to develop some knowledge of the geographical location of the sites, the impact that climate might have had on design, where individual structures ‘fit into’ chronological developments, and the general characteristics of the society under which they were constructed.

The Core Unit will not be directly assessed in the end-of-year examination. Rather it is expected that candidates’ responses to specific examination questions will reflect an understanding and knowledge of the general issues studied in the Core.

The method by which the Core is presented in the classroom and the amount of time dedicated to it are not prescribed. Some teachers may prefer to spend several weeks studying the Core as an introduction to the course prior to the study of specific Themes/Topics.

Others may wish to briefly outline the geography, climate, historical outline and chronology of the ancient civilisation selected, and to elaborate on these issues and introduce others from the Core (such as political systems and the nature of the evidence) as part of students’ study of specific Themes/Topics.

If more than one ancient civilisation is selected for study it is expected that all issues noted in the Core would be addressed for both civilisations.

DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC THEMES AND TOPICS

The option is available to study one or two of the three civilisations. The Core Unit needs to be studied for each civilisation. In practical terms this would mean the study of three or four Themes (plus one core) if studying one civilisation, and possibly two Themes (plus the core) per civilisation if studying two civilisations. At least two (2) topics need to be studied from each theme area.

Examples of acceptable coverage of two civilisations:

Egypt – Core, Arts, Politics and Government Greece – Core, Arts, Religion and Science

or

Greece – Core, Social Aspects, Politics and GovernmentRome – Core, Arts, Religion and Science

or

Egypt – Core, Arts, Social Aspects, Religion and ScienceRome – Core, Politics and Government

For examination purposes it is important to note that at least two Topics need to be studied from each theme.

MAP AND EXPLANATION

The Map is intended to be a general visual guide to the structure of Ancient Civilisations course Under each of the courses’ four Themes (Arts, Social Aspects, Politics & Government, and Religion and Science [represented by ovular boxes]) are Topics (represented by rectangular boxes). Students are expected to study a range of Topics from the chosen Theme areas.

Tasmanian Qualifications AuthorityPrint date: 6/11/2009

Version 1

Ancient Civilisation1

TQA 3

Tasmanian Qualifications AuthorityPrint date: 6/11/2009

Version 1

Ancient Civilisation1

TQA 3

SUGGESTED TIME FRAMES

Note: These are intended as a guide. It is not expected that the entire periods noted below would be studied. While Dynastic Egypt is suggested as the time frame for the study of Egypt, it is understood that most teachers will wish to focus on the Old, Middle and New Kingdom periods.

Theme A: Arts

Topic / Egypt / Greece / Rome
Art & architecture / Dynastic Egypt / Archaic - Hellenistic / 2nd c. BC – AD 2nd c.
Literature & writing / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / 2nd c. BC – AD 2nd c.
Philosophy / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / 2nd c. BC – AD 2nd c.
Drama & music / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / 2nd c. BC – AD 2nd c.
Myths & legends / Dynastic Egypt / Homer, Hesiod, Pindar / Livy, Virgil, Ovid
Historiography / Herodotus, Thucydides, Plutarch / Sallust, Tacitus, Plutarch, Suetonius

Theme B: Social Aspects

Topic / Egypt / Greece / Rome
Daily life / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
Women’s studies / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
Sex, sexuality & love / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
The family (including children & the aged) / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire

Theme C: Politics & Government

Topic / Egypt / Greece / Rome
Politics, government & citizenship / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / 133BC – AD68
War & foreign relations / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Wars of Expansion, Civil War
Law, crime & punishment / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / 133BC – AD68
Trade & economy / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Republican Rome – AD68

Theme D: Religion & Science

Topic / Egypt / Greece / Rome
Religion / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
Death & the afterlife / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
Science & technology / Dynastic Egypt / 6th c. BC – 4th c. BC / Late Republic – Empire
Medicine & health / Dynastic Egypt / 5th c. BC – 2nd c. AD Hippokrates - Galen / 5th c. BC – 2nd c. AD Hippokrates - Galen

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

The final examination

The final examination will be divided into four Sections based on the Theme areas. Candidates will be required to write one essay from each of two different Sections (ie. Themes).

• Specific questions in each Section will reflect the Topics.
• It is understood that aspects of specific Topics often overlap (or are very closely related). Some of these areas of overlap are suggested on the Map by fine lines connecting Topics. Thus, for example, ‘Religion’ overlaps with ‘Death and Afterlife’, ‘War & Foreign Relations’ overlaps with ‘Trade & Economy’. In some cases such overlapping is between Topics in different Theme areas (for example between ‘Drama & Music’ (Theme: Arts) and ‘Religion’ (Theme: Religion & Science).
• For examination purposes students are advised that the focus of their response to an examination question should reflect the specific Section (ie Theme) under which the question appears on the paper. On the other hand students are strongly encouraged to demonstrate their understanding of the complex interrelationship of a variety of aspects of an ancient civilisation. So, for example, if a candidate were to answer a question in Section A (Theme: Arts) on the Topic ‘Art & Architecture’ concerning the characteristics and purposes of Egyptian Art, then it would be expected that the candidate would make use of learning from the Topics ‘Religion’, and ‘Death & Afterlife’ (Theme: Religion & Science) in the discussion of funerary art, and from the Topic ‘Politics, Government and Citizenship’ (Theme; Politics & Government) in the discussion of monumental state art, and perhaps even from the Topic ‘Daily Life’ (Theme: Social Aspects) in the discussion of private art. A candidate’s discussion of these various aspects would not, however, form the primary focus of their response to such a question. Similarly a candidate could make excellent use of the study of Egyptian funerary art and architecture as primary evidence to support a response to a question relating to ‘Death and Afterlife’ in Section D (Theme: Religion & Science) of an examination paper, but this would not form the focus of the discussion of such a question.
• It is understood that the Art Theme Topics ‘Philosophy’ and ‘Historiography’ can only be studied for the civilisations of Greece and Rome. An examination question on the topic of Egyptian writing technology will be set to provide some balance in question options for students of ancient Egypt.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

INTERNET RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS OF ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS – ROME

• This is a massive website with excellent information and links to themes such as Daily Life, Roman Pictures (Architecture, Mythology, the Forum, etc.), Roman Maps, Roman Bibliography, Roman Art, Roman Bibliography, Roman Art, Roman Research (Mythology, History, Daily Life, Original texts (sources) etc. Under Daily Life there are two very useful sites on Roman women ( which contain links to Family, Medicine, Religion, Mistresses, Empresses, Adornments, Biographies, Law, Coins, etc. Some links are bogus, e.g. ‘Medicine and Anatomy’ under medicine, will take you to a shopping site! This site also has links to numerous picture galleries, eg. which covers images of architecture, mythology, Roman emperors, legionaries’ armour, etc.
• (Link to Ancient Rome) is useful on warefare, architecture, literature, coins, law, etc.
• has a useful collection of photographs of Roman art and architecture.
• is an excellent site for source information on just about everything to do with Rome – and Egypt, for that matter - as well as other ancient civilisations. The Egyptian page in this website is at:
• provides the index of primary sources across a range of civilisations for the site mentioned above.
• has some good source material on marriage, love and gender issues, with some excellent links to other sites.
• is a most impressive site on the art of both Rome and Egypt. (Few websites on Egypt, however, are as useful or as interesting as
• Finally, don’t forget that very useful teaching tool, the excellent crossword maker Eclipse Crossword which can be downloaded at:

Ancient Egypt resources

Books

/ Core / Art / Relig / Social / Pol/gov
What Life was like on the Banks of the Nile Time Life 1996 / *** / *** / ** / ** / ***
Watterson B Women in Ancient Egypt(Wrens Park pub. Gloucester 91) / * / ** / ** / **** / *
Callender. G. The Eye of Horus(Longman Melbourne 1993) / **** / * / ** / ** / ****
Readers Digest Life in the land of the Pharaohs / * / * / *** / *
Stalcup B ed. Ancient Egyptian Civilisation(Greenhaven 2001) / ** / ** / ** / ** / **
Seleem R The Illustrated Egyptian Book of the Dead(goldsfield NY 2001) / *** / ***
Shaw I Nicholson P The Dictionary of Anc. Egypt(Harry Abrams NY 2003) / ** / ** / ** / ** / **
Owusu H Symbols of Egypt(Stirling NY 1998) / *** / **
Demovic M Baker C New Kingdom Egypt(Longman. Melbourne, 1998) / *** / *** / *** / *** / ***
Callender G Egypt in the Old Kingdom (Longman Melbourne 1998) / *** / ** / *** / ** / ***
Lawless J ed. Studies in Ancient Egypt, Periods and Personalities(Thomson Melbourne, 2001) / *** / ****
Tyldesley J The Private Lives of the Pharaohs(Channel, London, 2000) / *** / * / * / *** / **
Manley B The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt / *** / ****
Watterson B Gods of Ancient Egypt(Batsford London 1984) / ****
Tiradritti F Ancient Egypt: Art, Architecture and History (Brit. Museum 2002) / ** / **** / * / * / **
Storm R Egyptian Mythology (Hermes, 2002) / ***
Oakes L & Gahlin L Ancient EgyptHermes, London, 2002) / *** / ** / **** / ** / ***
Oakes L Sacred Sites of Ancient Egypt(Hermes, 2001) / *** / *** / **** / * / ***
Malek J Egypt 4000 years of Art (Phaidon NY 2003) / ** / **** / *** / ** / ***
Gahlin L Gods Myth and Religion(Hermes 2001) / *** / *** / **** / * / **

Three recommended videos are:

Death on the Nile SBS 17/3/02

The Real Scorpion King Austar 14/10/02

Pyramid Beyond ImaginationABC Big Picture 21/5/03

Tasmanian Qualifications AuthorityPrint date: 6/11/2009

Version 1