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Ancient Sources (Material Evidence): Hellenistic-Roman Syria

Module description

This module is about the archaeology and history of Hellenistic-Roman Syria, a region that formed a crucial hub in the wider Afro-Eurasian network of the ancient world and was of key interest for Seleucid and Roman imperial formation. The focus of this module will be on urban contexts and material culture, ranging from coins and tombs to baths and temples. You will develop an understanding of scholarly debates concerning the relation between imperialism and connectivity, and you will learn to apply this critical lens to think about social, political and cultural transformations happening in Hellenistic-Roman Syria from the 3^rd c. BCE until the 3^rd c. CE. No previous knowledge of Hellenistic-Roman Syria is required to enrol on this module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to introduce you to the archaeology and history of Hellenistic-Roman Syria, with a focus on urban contexts and material culture. By taking an in-depth look at material evidence, you will acquire a detailed understanding of the ways that imperial power and trans-regional connectivities shaped Syria in economic, funerary, public and religious domains. You will consider the extent to which urbanisation was an instrument of empire, and the ways in which the formation of new connectivities caused the development of new social and cultural assemblages. You will learn to reflect critically on contemporary scholarly debates concerning the impact of different forms of imperialism and the use of globalisation theory in the analysis of ancient societies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the archaeology and history of Hellenistic-Roman Syria
• 2. Identify and explain the variations of urban development in Hellenistic-Roman Syria

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Produce a competent analysis of material culture and archaeological data
• 4. Reflect critically on scholarly debates about ancient imperialism and globalisation

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Respond critically to comments in discussion
• 6. Write a coherent and analytical essay

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that the module will cover some or all of the following topics:

• A Hellenized Syria? The ‘limits of Hellenism’ in Syria
• The archaeology of annexation: ‘romanisation’ and the impact of imperialism
• Time and motion: transport, communication and time-space compression
• Cities: urban planning and constructing urban communities.
• Cities: baths, public spaces and civic ideals.
• Countryside: agriculture, production, taxes and the integration of marginal landscapes.
• Trade networks: consumption, glocalisation and object flows
• Coinage: standardisation and economic networks
• Tombs and identity: code-switching, localism and the limits of Romanisation.
• Religion: temple architecture, cultic practice and local continuities

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

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. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Andrade, N.J. 2013. Syrian Identity in the Greco-Roman World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Butcher, K. 2003. Roman Syria and the Near East, The British Museum Press.
• Hodos, T, with Geurds, A, Lane, P, Lilley, I, Pitts, M, Shelach, G, Stark, M and Versluys, M. J (eds.). 2017. The Routledge Handbook of Archaeology and Globalization. London: Routledge
• Hoo, M. 2022. Eurasian localisms: towards a translocal approach to Hellenism and inbetweenness in central Eurasia, third to first centuries BCE. Oriens et Occidens, 41. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.
• Jennings, J. 2011. Globalizations and the ancient world. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Pitts, M, and M.J Versluys (eds.). 2015. Globalisation and the Roman world. World history, connectivity and material culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Kaizer, T. 2017. Trajectories of Hellenism at Tadmor-Palmyra and Dura Europos, in: B. Chrubasik & D. King, Hellenism and the Local Communities of the Eastern Mediterranean. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 29-52. 
• Thonemann, P. 2016. The Hellenistic World. Using Coins as Sources, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Key words search

Syria, archaeology, Hellenistic, Roman, Hellenism, globalisation, urbanisation, connectivity