GRC20130 Study Tour of Ancient Greece

Academic Year 2022/2023

This module provides students with experience of the landscape, monuments and material culture of ancient Greece, facilitating a greater understanding of the societies that flourished in this region in the past. It consists of a 10-day study tour to mainland Greece, visiting key sites and museums, and is followed by related class sessions during Autumn trimester. The archaeological remains date from a range of periods, enabling an appreciation of the main chronological developments in Greek society from the Bronze Age, through Iron Age, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and into Byzantine. Sites on the itinerary include Mycenae, Tiryns, Corinth, Eleusis, Epidaurus, Delphi, Olympia, Sparta, Mystras and a number of important locations within Athens (e.g. Acropolis, Agora, Kerameikos). The tour is led by lecturers associated with the Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies at Athens (IIHSA), who provide guided tours at each site. The class sessions focus on building skills to enable you to carry out the module assessments: a travel journal and an individual research project relating to a site visited on the tour. This module is available as an elective. NB - this tour takes place in summer 2022 and students MUST have gone on the tour to take this module, which runs in Autumn trimester of 2022-23.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
• Understand the sites of ancient Greece in relation to the landscape
• Demonstrate sound knowledge of the key sites and monuments of ancient Greece and of the main chronological periods of the Greek past
• Analyse archaeological evidence (sites, monuments, artefacts) from firsthand observation, and from the study of primary and secondary literature (i.e. ancient and modern sources)
• Communicate effectively about archaeological remains and their interpretation, orally and in writing
• Record and present photographs or illustrations in a way that complements written work

Indicative Module Content:

Class sessions in Weeks 1-6 support the production of a research project based on the trip to Greece. Topics to be covered may include some or all of the following:
- Primary and secondary sources for Classical archaeology
- Bibliographic formatting and referencing
- Structuring a research project
- Imagined narratives and writing the past
- Travellers and 'Grand Tourists' in Greece
NB - content is indicative and subject to change

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Tutorial

6
Field Trip/External Visits

80
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Total

126
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module consists of two related elements: a study tour to Greece in August-September, and six seminars during Autumn trimester. The seminars emphasise class discussion and participation. They will help you to produce the assessments (travel journal and research project), and equip you with transferable skills in research, bibliographic formatting, and structured writing. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

Students MUST have participated in the study tour during summer 2019 to take this module. Students must confirm their acceptance on this module with the module coordinator before August 2019.

Learning Recommendations:

Students taking this module should have passed at least one Level 1 GRC module. Of particular relevance are GRC10200 Classical Greece and GRC10170 Lost Cities of the Ancient World. Completion of a selection of Level 2 or 3 modules offered by the School of Classics is also suitable. Priority will be given to students intending to register for further GRC modules in 2019-2020. Contact the module coordinator to discuss eligibility if you are uncertain.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Journal: Produce a 2000-2500 word illustrated travel journal describing your experiences and learning on the study tour. Week 4 n/a Graded No

50
Project: Produce a c.2500 word illustrated research project based on one of the sites visited on the tour. Week 9 n/a Graded No

50

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback sheets for each assessment will be uploaded to Brightspace for each student within 20 working days of submission. Students are welcome to arrange a meeting with the module coordinator to discuss their grade/feedback.