AR2M8: Medieval Europe: power, religion and death

Module code: AR2M8

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

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Gabor Thomas, email: gabor.thomas@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Aleks Pluskowski, email: a.g.pluskowski@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: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides you with an informed understanding of the contribution that archaeological evidence, approaches and interpretation have made to an understanding of Europe over the ‘Long Middle Ages’, c. AD 500-1600. In addition to familiarising you with key transformations and developments embraced by this period, it will also encourage you to make thematic comparisons between different geographical, cultural and temporal contexts in Europe. Then module includes a field trip to Winchester - one of the richest medieval urban landscapes in southern England. It will also include a formative assessment in the form of group poster presentations designed to support you in developing your essay.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Identify and discuss the main issues and events of the ‘Long Middle Ages’
2. Demonstrate an understanding of how archaeology engages with other disciplines to reconstruct the Middle Ages, and an awareness of the diversity of sources used by early and later medieval archaeologists
3. Identify and compare developments across Europe
4. Organise your material and construct an effective arguments in writing, in coursework essays and in an interpretation panel designed to convey complex archaeological information to a public audience.

Module content

The module is arranged in two parts to give an overview of the archaeology of the early and later medieval periods. It focuses on key themes that shaped the ‘long Middle Ages’, defined chronologically as the 5th-16th centuries AD. The topics covered by the course for early medieval archaeology include migration, social identities, settlement transformations, commerce and resources and religious transformations. For the later medieval archaeology part the topics will include conquest and migration, lordship, religious heterogeneity and the life course, from birth to death. The distinctive contribution of archaeological evidence will be stressed, as well as the role of history and art history. This module explores the archaeology of the ‘Long Middle Ages’, focusing on major themes connecting the early and later medieval periods and drawing on examples from across Britain and Continental Europe.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching will be through well-illustrated lectures and structured seminars designed to promote class discussion of major issues and debates explored through case studies and special topics. There will be an all-day fieldtrip to Winchester to consolidate students’ chronological understanding of the ‘Long Middle Ages and awareness of key themes such as urbanism and the linkages between church and state.  There will also be a 2-hour feedback meeting to discuss formative feedback on the essay assignment.

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 40% 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: https://www.reading.ac.uk/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.

Students will submit an essay plan for formative feedback on the written essay assignment, discussed at a feedback meeting.

Reassessment

Additional costs