ARCO3004: Semester 2, 2022

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Units ARCO3004 Semester 2 2022 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ARCO3004: Ancient West Asia: Art and Architecture

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

The art and architecture of Ancient Western Asia opens a window onto a world of engineering prowess, artistic brilliance and symbolic meaning, relevant both to our understanding of the ancient creators, and to the unfolding entanglement of people and their creations down the ages. We will explore a range of iconic ancient structures and artworks, and consider their significance in context, and down the ages to the present day.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARCO3004
Academic unit	Archaeology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ARCA2623
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or (6 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 2000 level in Ancient History)
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Thomas Hikade, thomas.hikade@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research paper See Canvas for details	50%	-	3,500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Journal entry 1 See Canvas for details.	10%	-	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Journal entry 2 See Canvas for details	10%	-	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Presentation See Canvas for details.	30%	Multiple weeks	Up to 15 minutes, based on class size.
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Further information can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

Guide to grades - The University of Sydney

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Welcome	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	New Kingdom	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Old and Middle Kingdom statues: describing and comparing	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Tombs of ancient Egypt: how are they different and/or similar to other cultures?	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Ancient Egypt on the big screen (Thutmosis III and the battle at Megiddo)	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Karnak temple: what constitutes a sacred place?	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Egypt in Asia and Egypt in Nubia – what a difference it makes	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Student presentations & discussion	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Student presentations & discussion	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Student presentations & discussion	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Student presentations & discussion; summary and outlook	Seminar (2 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Week 1 welcome, getting to know each other, course outline and topics for student presentations (with a focus on one aspect of their research paper to present)

Week 2 lecture on Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom plus Q&A

Reading: I. Shaw, the Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, chapter 4 The Emergence of the Egyptian State, pp. 57-82 (Fisher online); chapter 5 The Old Kingdom, pp. 83-107 (Fisher online).

Week 3 lecture on First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom plus Q&A

Reading: I. Shaw, the Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, chapter 6 The First Intermediate Period, pp. 108-136 (Fisher online); chapter 7 The Middle Kingdom, pp. 137-171 (Fisher online).

Week 4 lecture on New Kingdom plus Q&A

Reading: I. Shaw, the Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, chapter 9 The 18th Dynasty before the Amarna Period, pp. 207-264 (Fisher online)

Week 5 Old and Middle Kingdom statues: describing and comparing

Reading: google images “old kingdom statues” and “middle kingdom statues”

Week 6 Tombs of ancient Egypt: how are they different and/or similar to other cultures?

Reading: T. Hikade, Pharaonic Egypt 2008 (paper will be uploaded)

Week 7 Ancient Egypt on the big screen (Thutmosis III and the battle at Megiddo)

Reading: https://www.navy.gov.au/media-room/publications/semaphore-16-06

Week 8 Karnak temple: what constitutes a sacred place?

Reading/browsing Karnak at:

http://wayback.archive-it.org/7877/20160919152116/http://dlib.etc.ucla.edu/projects/Karnak/

Whose culture is it anyway? Looting and Repatriation

Reading: K.W. Appiah, Whose culture is it anyway https://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art116/readings/appiah%20whose%20culture.pdf

Week 9 Egypt in Asia and Egypt in Nubia – what a difference it makes

Reading: I. Shaw, the Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, chapter 11 Egypt and the outside world, pp. 308-323 (Fisher online).

Deir el-Medineh: what are the downsides of settlements and what the upsides?

Reading: J. Toivari-Viitala, Deir el-Medineh (development) UEE Encyclopedia of Egyptology 2011 (paper will be uploaded)

Week 10 Student presentations & discussion

Week 11 Student presentations & discussion

Week 12 Student presentations & discussion

Week 13 Student presentations & discussion; summary and outlook

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of how art, as an archaeological artefact, is employed in a wide variety of spatial and temporal contexts to illuminate the human past and present
LO2. demonstrate expertise in the material culture and archaeological study of the art of Western Asia
LO3. read and critically evaluate relevant scholarship, with a particular focus on contextual understanding
LO4. communicate complex ideas about the analysis and interpretation of the art of Western Asia in both written and spoken English
LO5. demonstrate the ability to identify, develop and answer research questions
LO6. function as independent learners and researchers.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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