Lords to Lepers: Medieval Social Worlds
| Module title | Lords to Lepers: Medieval Social Worlds |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARC2118 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Oliver Creighton (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
You will consider the archaeologies of everyday life – and death – in medieval Britain between c. AD 1050 and 1550. You will look at material culture across the entire social spectrum, from kings and lords, through to peasants in the medieval countryside and traders and merchants in the towns, down to the level of the dispossessed and/or marginalised such as criminals, lepers and Jews. One focus will be on the buildings that were central to domestic life, but the module will draw on a diverse range of evidence, including portable artefacts, burials, landscapes and environmental material to explore standards of living and modes of social display and consider how these changed through time and varied between areas.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims to develop an appreciation of standards of living and ways of dying in Britain between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries and to deepen understanding of the principles and methodologies involved in recovering, analysing and theorising related information. It aims to develop a critically aware understanding of commonalities and contrasts in medieval life and lifestyle between different social classes and in different environments and regions.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the range of techniques and data sources available to study medieval life and lifestyle during this period
- 2. Know the principal medieval building types and their chronological developments and regional variations
- 3. Develop an understanding of how and why these developments and variations came about
- 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical challenges and issues involved in understanding and reconstructing medieval lifestyle
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate knowledge of, and an ability to reflect on, contrasting archaeological perspectives
- 6. Synthesise and evaluate relevant archaeological and historical terms, concepts and examples
- 7. Demonstrate comprehension and detailed knowledge of complex issues through essay-based coursework and the end of module examination
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Demonstrate techniques of locating, organising and digesting material to produce, to a deadline, a piece of coherent analysis
- 9. Respond to arguments in discussion and ask relevant questions
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
-
Medieval social worlds: sources and perspectives
-
Timeline of medieval Britain
-
Houses and households; the open hall
-
Diet and dress
-
Elite residences as social arenas: palaces, mansions and manors
-
Town life: merchants, traders and guilds
-
Lives on the fringes: hospitals; lepers; the urban poor; Jews
-
The peasantry: houses and hovels; archaeologies of resistance?
-
The face of battle: conflict and conflict archaeology
-
The medieval way of death: burial, cemeteries and commemoration
-
Workshop 1: interrogating medieval buildings: survey, recording and analysis
-
Workshop 2: coming to grips with medieval portable artefacts – personal adornments, weapons, coins, etc.
-
Overview: contrasts and commonalities in life and lifestyle
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 20 | Lectures and workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 130 | Independent study (week by week reading of books and articles; guided preparation for workshops; individual preparation for essays) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop participation x 2 | 1 hour | 9 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written assignment (site report) | 40 | 1500 words | 1-9 | Written feedback |
| Examination | 60 | 1.5 hours | 1-9 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written assignment | Essay (1500 words) | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination | Examination | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
-
Gerrard, C. and Gutiérrez, A. (eds.) 2018: The Oxford Handbook of Later Medieval Archaeology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Available online via library catalogue link to Oxford Handbooks Online]
-
Gilchrist, R. 2012: Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course. Woodbridge: Boydell. [Available as an e-book through the Exeter Library Catalogue]
-
Christie, N.J. and Stamper, P. 2011: Medieval Rural Settlement: Britain and Ireland, AD 800–1600. Bollington: Windgather. [Available as an e-book through the Exeter Library Catalogue]
-
Dyer, C. 2002: Making a Living in the Middle Ages: The People of Britain 850-1520. Yale University Press. [Available as an e-book through the Exeter Library Catalogue]
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- Website of the Portable Antiquities Scheme: http://finds.org.uk/
- Website of the Society for Medieval Archaeology: http://www.medievalarchaeology.org/
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11466
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- The city of Exeter and its medieval buildings.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | February 2012 |
| Last revision date | 31/01/2024 |
