CLASSICAL
CIVILISATION at KSHS – ASSIGNMENTS
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This page lists all the assignments (essays etc)
and homeworks that you have been/will be set during
the year. It runs in reverse order (most recent first).
STOP PRESS for Class Civ students at
KSHS: if KSHS Academic Portal is down (as it was on the weekend of 4/5 October
2008) and you cannot access the handouts/assignments and other notes posted
there, please email me on the address shown on the
Home Page with what you
need and I will email you back the relevant sheets.
It also has links to notes and Handouts.
Unit CC10 Virgil and the World of the
Hero
How far do the Gods
dictate the course of events in the Iliad? (with
particular reference to Books 6, 18, 22 and 24)
Due in on
Don't story-tell. You need to break it down to key
events which happen because
of the gods, and those that happen because of other
agencies (human). How far does Homer use
gods as the agents in the narrative.
Look through the Introduction of the Iliad, and
itemize key events where the gods have specifically initiated and influenced
events. Try and then classify these into actual participation in the fighting,
and their role as influences on humans.
The entire story is based on Zeus' promise to Thetis that he will back up Achilles in his feud with
Agamemnon by allowing the Trojans to have success against the Achaeans
(Greeks). The idea is that the Achaeans will realize how important Achilles is,
and basically rub Agamemnon's nose in it. However, various factors prevent this
plan from panning out. Athena helps the Achaeans (Book 5) by using Diomede to wound Ares and Aphrodite. The result is that the
Achaeans start doing very well. You'll see in Book 14 that this
process continue, with Poseidon stepping in to bolster the Achaeans
while Hera (pro T) seduces Zeus to get him out of the
way and miss what's going on. In Book 16 it's Apollo who participates in Patroklos being killed by knocking off his armour.
In Book 18 Thetis and
Hephaestus play important roles in bolstering Achilles' determination to avenge
Patroklos. In Book 20 Zeus actually instructs the
gods to choose who they are backing in the war, and in Book 21 they act on this. In Book 22 Zeus actually weighs up Hektor
against Achilles and lets his golden scales decide the outcome. In Book 24 look
at how the gods actively play a part in bringing the story to an end.
Against this you need to set occasions and events
that play a decisive part in the story that aren't dictated by the gods. After
all, Agamemnon's belligerent tyranny in the first instance initiates his feud
with Achilles. It's Achilles' rage that causes him to act as he does over the
death of Hektor.
Essentially, this is quite a basic judgment. What
do the gods do, and what don't they do? What do humans do of their own accord?
How is that the Achaeans do so well to begin with when
that wasn't Zeus' plan?
Unit CC6 Cities of Roman Italy
Homework set
You are reminded that marks
are awarded for the quality of written communication of your answer.
How did men (or women) of substance spend money on their Roman town’s
facilities, why was it desirable for them to do so, and to what extent was this
compulsory?
In your answer, you should:
- consider the
different types of facilities and services in Roman towns that were
provided and by whom – remember
that the ‘money’ included spending civic resources as well as private
funds, and that facilities and services includes everything from paying
out funeral grants to deceased worthies, modernizing the theatre and
baths, putting on games and so on
- include an
analysis of the benefactors’ motives and legal obligations – consider here
how there were obligations on magistrates to spend some of their own cash,
there were electoral candidates (perhaps this helped motivate Eumachia in
the interests of her son); what did they expect to get in return for their
money – and don’t forget the freedmen like Ampliatus
- support your
answer with evidence from any of the texts or buildings you have studied –
take care to include examples from
[45]
Homework set on 11 February (and the week before),
due to be presented in M9 on
Prepare a presentation ‘promoting’
If you cannot organize this, then you should
submit an essay answering the question:
Why
was
HOMEWORK set on
Prepare a detailed essay plan (downloadable
template CC Essay Planner on KSHS
Academic Portal for use in class.
Question: How
important were public baths to Roman city life?
In your answer you should:
· Consider the types of public baths available to city dwellers in cities
like
· Include an analysis of the types of person and organizations responsible
for providing public baths
· Support your answer with evidence from any of the texts or buildings you
have studied.
Resources: use Chapter 3 from the draft textbook,
HO 25 (Suburban Baths), 27 (Baths of Mithras), 28
(Forum Baths), and 32 (Roman Baths)
HOMEWORK set on
How could public entertainments and leisure facilities be used to enhance
and reflect social status in Roman cities?
In your answer you should
·
Consider the different types of people who paid
for public entertainments and the buildings.
·
Include an analysis of the reasons for their
behaviour.
·
Support your answer with evidence from the towns
you have studied.
Suggested scaffolding:
Introduction – set out your argument here by
explaining whether you think public entertainments were important in Roman town
life.
Conclusion: here you should sum up your argument
clearly by reviewing what you have discussed and deciding how far public
entertainments could reflect and enhance social status.
HOMEWORK – XMAS HOLIDAYS 2008–9
SET ON
DUE IN ON
You
need to research and answer this question:
How was Roman society divided up, what extent was this
reflected in places like
In your answer you should:
- Consider the different tiers in Roman society
- Include an analysis of the privileges open to
them
- Look at how hierarchies in places like
- Explain the restrictions imposed on freedmen and
how they could achieve status
a) To answer this effectively, you will need to use the handouts provided in class (CC6 HO7 Roman Society, and CC6 HO8 Roman Careers – available on academic portal) and …
b) You also need to go to KSHS academic portal and download the draft Chapter 2 of the new textbook (go to The Classroom\Classical Civilization\CC6 Cities of Roman Italy\CC6 Cities of Roman Italy Textbook Draft Chapters\CRI Chapter 2.
c) You should also go to The Classroom\Classical Civilization\CC6 Cities of Roman Italy\CC6 Excerpts from Reading Lists Books\CC6 TB02 GovtPeople.doc (hard copy distributed in class)
d) Finally, you should make use of the weblinks on Roman society on www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/cc6reading.htm
CC6 Cities of Roman Italy: homework 1 Set:
Due:
1. Read this passage, and
answer the questions. You are expected to refer
to the extract and to use your own knowledge in your answers.
Ostia: it is
harbourless on account of the silting up which is caused by the Tiber, since
the Tiber is fed by numerous streams. Now although it is with peril that the
merchant-ships anchor far out in the surge, still, the prospect of gain
prevails; and in fact the good supply of the
tenders which receive the cargoes and bring back cargoes in exchange makes it
possible for the ships to sail away quickly before they touch the river, or
else, after being partly relieved of their cargoes, they sail into the Tiber
and run inland as far as Rome
From a translation of Strabo, Geography
V.3.5
(a) briefly explain
where
not be allowed to continue.
[10]
(b) Explain when, why and how the Claudian harbour was designed, and suggest what special incident might have provided Claudius
with inspiration for part of its design.
[20]
(c) This is a modern aerial photograph.
Describe what the photograph shows, when
it was built, by whom it was built, why it was necessary to build it and
explain what the impact of this facility
was on
IN ORDER TO TACKLE THIS
HOMEWORK EFFECTIVELY YOU NEED TO HAVE TO HAND THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL:
1) CC1 HO6 Sources,
with particular emphasis on Literary Sources 5, 6 (p. 13) and 7 (p. 8)
(also available as www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/ccsources.htm)
2) CC1 HO9
3) The draft Chapter 1 of the forthcoming textbook, which
can be accessed at KSHS Academic Portal/Classical Civilization/AS CC6 Cities of
Roman Italy/CC6 Cities of Roman Italy Textbook Draft Chapters/CRI Chapter 1.doc (N.B. I am not distributing hard copy of this material as it is being
constantly updated as the book is being written: YOU need to get it yourself)
4) You should also consult the Powerpoint
(CC6 Cities Background) given in class, and look at other reading sources at www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/cc6reading.htm
Unit CC1 (Entry Code F381) Archaeology
of the Classical World (September on)
HOMEWORK
set 20th November, due for
Using
the following past paper question, prepare answers using your textbook and
other research (www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/classcivreading.htm),
including Tuesday’s Powerpoint. In this instance I
have supplied part of the mark scheme to give you guidance.
A1 (Illustration: MW Fig. 25 (p.83) Clay figurine
from Chamber Tomb 41 at
(a)
Identify and describe objects A and B shown above. Precisely where was each
of these objects found? Give an approximate date for object A.
[10]
(b) How
useful have such objects and other types of evidence been in giving
archaeologists information about Mycenaean religion?
[15]
(c) With
reference to Mycenaean Greece, show how archaeologists have used these and
other forms of art to draw conclusions about aspects of a society, apart from
religion. [20]
Total: 50 marks (including 5 for written
communication)
Mark
scheme
(a) check this
yourself
[AO1 = 10 marks]
(b) Answers should include
comments such as: such figurines have been used to help identify the shrine at
pantheon. Other evidence such
as wall paintings and the Linear B archives
should be taken into
account. The existence of burial gods may suggest a
belief in the
afterlife.
[AO1 = 6 + AO2 =
9 = 15 marks]
(c) Answers should
include some comments as: Mycenaean art has been used to extrapolate data on
many aspects of life. Primary may be fashion – most of our information of
female and male dress comes from figurines and wall paintings. The Ivory Trio
may be mentioned as
a possible example of
the basic family structure. Art itself can give us an
indication of the
skills within a culture. Warfare is represented in art, giving us
an idea of how
Mycenaean warriors dressed when going off into battle. Strong
answers may recognise
the possible connection between Mycenaean art and
Egyptian art.
[AO1 = 6 + AO2 =
14 = 20 marks]
[Quality of
Written Communication = 5 marks]
[Total AO1: 22 marks + AO2: 23 marks + AO3: 5 marks = 50 marks]
Homework for 13 November, due in on 20th
November (homework for 6 November below):
‘Archaeology has
produced a wealth of evidence for military equipment and planning in the Mycenaean
world’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? In your answer, you
should include discussion of finds or depictions of military equipment from
sites in
Suggested plan
(ONLY suggested – there are many other ways you could write it):
|
Intro: address the question rather than repeat
it. Set out what your line of argument is going to be and refer to the nature
of the evidence and its limitations (ask yourself: has it produced a wealth of evidence?). Your intro should be
several sentences long and explain that any such discussion needs to bear in
mind the importance of non-archaeological evidence too such as Homer. |
i
|
Paras
1 and 2: set out here what the evidence consists of in rather more detail.
Point out that some items are made of non-perishables and others aren’t.
Distinguish between remains of actual items and images of weaponry etc. You
should also stress the existence of written records and Homeric accounts but
emphasize when they come from, and point out that archaeology has help yield
some of the most crucial written evidence. |
i
|
Paras
3 and 4: you could consider here
the written evidence for military equipment and planning, and illustrate what
it tells us, but balance it by pointing out what goes unmentioned. |
i
|
Paras
5 and 6: you could consider here the visual images (frescoes
and so on) and point out how useful these can be, while going on to indicate
its limitations |
i
|
Paras
7 and 8: you could consider here the physical remnants of
military artefacts, stressing the importance of particular types of equipment
which survives in large quantities before going on to consider how limited
the evidence is for other types |
i
|
Conclusion: this is where you must draw
everything together and show that you have answered the question. You should
summarize your line of argument and explain the extent to which you agree
with the statement in the question. Even if you are in total agreement with
the statement, it is essential that you acknowledge an alternative point of
view even if your judgment is that it is true. Make sure you allude to the
statement in the question by paraphrasing it e.g. “ …. so it is true/not true
that archaeology has produced a great deal of evidence for military activity
in the Mycenaean world but …” |
General rules:
- Better
not to say ‘I think’, ‘In my opinion’
- Use
examples to illustrate your point(s) but link them to the point
- Don’t
pad out sentences with waffle: better a short essay than a long ramble
- Focus
on the question throughout and be balanced in your answer
Homework set on 7 November and due on 13 November
Write notes from your CAF textbook, Chapter 6 ‘Recording
the site and the finds’, and come prepared for a multiple choice test on this
and everything else we have covered this term. The class’s performance
in the unseen test on 6 November was disappointing, especially in terms of
factual knowledge and we need to take steps to improve this dramatically.
Homework for 23 October, due for 6 November
(*** ADVANCE
WARNING: on Wednesday 5 November you will have a timed essay on an aspect of
archaeology and/or
Your task for 6 November is to prepare a
presentation to the class on the theme of:
How
can archaeologists identify function and motive in the archaeological record?
What this means is, how can archaeologists
identify the purpose of artefacts, buildings or sites? How can he/she know why
an artefact was used, what a building’s significance was and so on? You can use
any Classical site(s) you wish and you may work with another student to produce
a presentation to deliver to the whole class. If you want to create a Powerpoint, feel free to do so.
You should also be balanced in your presentation;
that means, consider the limits faced by an archaeologist as well.
Homework for 16 October, due in on 23 October
Explain some of the ways archaeologists can learn
about a site without excavation. Explain which method you think is most useful.
In your answer, you should:
· consider the different ways that archaeologists research a
site;
· include an analysis of the success of these ways;
· support your answer with evidence from any of the Classical
sites you have studied. [45
marks]
To answer this question effectively, you need to
have CC1 HO 17 Surveying to hand and to consult The Archaeology Coursebook (Chapter 1).
You also need to use Chapter 4 of your CAF
textbook. I suggest you make use of the Class Civ Reading page where there are some links on
Archaeological Reconnaissance/Prospecting. MAKE SURE YOU USE EXAMPLES AS THE
QUESTION SAYS!!
SET: 9 October, due in on 16th October
Write proper answers to this past paper question.
Make sure you itemize your answer according to the numbering system in the
question.
This answer will be marked according to the mark scheme.
Your total answer should be at least as long as a decent essay. Remember to
research your answers in the textbook as well as any lesson notes.
Your answer will serve YOU in the future as a
useful summary of the information. So, make sure you support your points with
detail and examples.
June 2005 Arch 2 2745
A1 (Illustration: MW Fig. 8 (p. 26) Treasury of Atreus)
(a) (i) Identify the tomb shown above. What type of tomb is it?
(ii) State in which site and region it is found
(iii) Give an approximate date for its
construction
(iv) Why is the present state of these tombs
often not very helpful for archaeologists?
[10]
(b) What objects
have archaeologists found on same site as this tomb? How helpful have
such finds
been?
[15]
[this question is inviting you to talk about the finds from
other graves at
(c) How useful
have tombs been in teaching us about the building techniques of the
Mycenaean
people? In your answer, you should include discussion of this type of tomb
[i.e. the
tholos tomb in part (a)] and other types of tomb.
[20]
[this
question expects you to discuss the construction techniques used in the Tholos tomb, and also the graves found in the Grave
Circles]
Total: 50 marks (including 5 for written communication)
Homework for 2 October, due in on 9 October
Prepare, in note
form, answers to this past paper question. You should use your Classical Archaeology in the Field
textbook. You will find pages 94–95 useful amongst other sections.
For part (b) you
should also try and look at p. 81 following in The Archaeology Coursebook (Chapter 3).
There is a reference copy available in KSHS Library, but if you go to www.romanbritain.freeserve.co.uk/classcivreading.htm
you can scroll down to links dedicated to the contents of Chapter 3 of that
book.
Part (c) is
effectively an invitation to write about anything that ISN’T organic, which
means typically stone or pottery or metal. You can consult CAF and your
“Why have I been
set this homework?” Because at 6th form level you should be building
up your experience in researching and taking notes, but always with a view to
tackling particular problems or questions: these help focus your note-taking.
Remember – don’t drown yourself with notes. Part of the art is cutting things
down to a manageable size.
June 2005 Arch I 2744
A2 (Illustration: CAF Fig. 5.5 (p. 74) Skeletal
Record Sheet)
(a) (i) Explain what the form above is and what type
of information it shows
(ii) Give one other type of organic remains and
explain how it can be useful to an
archaeologist.
[10]
(b) How
does the way archaeologists conserve organic remains differ from the way that
they
conserve pottery and metal? In your answer you should refer to at least
two types of
organic material found at Classical sites?
[15]
(c) How
have non-organic finds been useful in learning about a site? In your answer you
should include discussion of at least one type of non-organic remains
and at least one
Classical site.
[20}
Homework –
Essay question:
‘Pottery provides archaeologists with
dating evidence and can be used to make inferences about exchange, economy and
society’. Discuss
In this essay you should be
mindful of both the positive aspects of pottery and also difficulties that
might arise. In other words your answer should be balanced. You will
need to use what you have learned from the lessons on 23 and 24 September (the Powerpoint is on KSHS
Academic Portal), and also use your textbook (Classical Archaeology in the Field). You will also find The Archaeology Coursebook
by Grant, Gorin and Fleming (in KSHS Library) useful
– in fact it’s the source of the quote in the question (p. 67). One possible
format for your answer could be:
- Introduction (
- Explain what aspects of pottery archaeologists use
to distinguish different classes of pottery and what information this
provides
- Consider what problems there might be with the
methods archaeologists use to distinguish pottery
- Explain how these methods supply dating evidence
- Explain whether or not there are shortcomings
with the methods used to date pottery
- Move on to consider what inferences or
conclusions archaeologists can draw from pottery and consider whether
these are legitimate or reliable
- In your conclusion you should sum up your
argument and make it clear whether or not you agree with the statement and
why.
N.B. in the first
essay quite a few of you were very accepting of archaeological methods as a
reliable method of understanding the past. But are they? How much of
archaeology is fact and how much is opinion? And how do you distinguish the
two?
HOMEWORK
Read Chapter 2 of
your textbook Classical Archaeology in
the Field. Write notes and prepare an answer to this exam-type question:
A1 (Illustration: CAF Fig. 2.6 (p. 22) Lunt Fort)
(a) (i) Explain what is happening in the picture
above.
(ii) Where was this photograph taken?
(iii) Why do archaeologists undertake such
work?
[10]
(b) What were the advantages and disadvantages of
the ways in which Classical sites were
explored between the Middle Ages and
include discussion of at least one Classical site. [15]
(c) How
effectively have archaeologists developed their techniques since the work of
Heinrich
Schliemann? In your answer, you should include discussion of at least
one Classical site. [20]
Homework –
Using HO
03 (distributed in class and available on KSHS Academic Portal) answer this
question about the House of the Menander at
How useful are these plans for understanding the
House of the Menander and its associated features and
its relationship with the rest of the buildings in its block?
N. B. There are links to pictures and more details
of this house on Further
Reading and Links on Classical Civilisation. This is an exercise in what
you can interpret from a ground-plan. Your discussion should also consider what
you cannot find out from a ground-plan. The idea is that you start to explore
what use archaeological evidence can be and this will form an important part of
your learning in this section of the course.
ASSIGNMENT 01: Archaeology cannot reconstruct the personalities, chance events and
phenomena that make up the human experience in the past. Only History can do
that. Discuss.
OR
History
is far too dependent on biased and selective records of the famous and
notorious to produce an accurate impression of the past. Only Archaeology can
reconstruct the realities of everyday life. Discuss
The idea here is to generate a balanced discussion on the
advantages and disadvantages of both History and Archaeology and then form a
balanced conclusion about their respective merits. It would be perfectly reasonable
to argue that either has more value, or that the two have to complement each
other. In fact the same essay could be used to answer either question. But your
discussion should show accurate and perceptive knowledge of what both
disciplines can offer through the evidence available to them, and how this
evidence can be used. You must use your evidence to support your point of view.
Scaffolding: to write an essay like this you must
structure it coherently, but there is no one way to answer this
question. One possible format would be:
- Introduction
(set out here briefly what you are going to discuss)
- History
– define, explain what historical evidence is, its advantages, and then
its disadvantages (you should take several paragraphs over this)
- Make
sure you cite some examples that illustrate both advantages and
disadvantages (perhaps a specific historical figure or reign, or period)
- Archaeology
– define, explain what archaeologicall evidence
is, its advantages, and then its disadvantages (you should take several
paragraphs over this)
- Make
sure you cite some examples that illustrate both advantages and
disadvantages (perhaps a specific site, or period)
- Conclusion
TIP: it is much more important to write a concise, informed
and properly structured essay in two sides than to hand in six sides of waffle
that might have lots of important detail but which is lost in an unstructured,
unbalanced and inconclusive ramble.
READING: you will find pp. 1–10 of Classical Archaeology in the Field (hereafter
Handouts and notes.
(N.B. not all handouts can be published on this website for copyright reasons:
however, I will also upload all handouts to the KSHS Academic Portal in the Classical
Civilisation section; if you are not a KSHS student you will need to obtain a
log-in from the IT Department)
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