CLAS20D1: From palace to polis: the changing societies of early Greece

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• It will introduce students to the societies of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age/Archaic Greece and examine the radical social & political changes which took place over this period of time (c.1600-550 BCE).

• The module will explore the process of state formation in mainland Greece, from the formation of the Mycenaean palaces ca. 1600 BCE to the development of the Greek city state in the Archaic and Classical periods
• Topics covered will normally include: the nature of Mycenaean 'palaces'; the so-called 'Dark Ages'; the post-palatial histories of Mycenaean sites, which range from abandonment to rebuilding to continued occupation; the development of the polis and the creation of polis identity; the nature of contacts between Greece and the East Mediterranean, including trade, migration, and colonisation
• The course will engage with written evidence (including the administrative records of the Mycenaean Palaces) as well as material evidence, and will explore challenges & opportunities provided by combining these types of evidence

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge of the history & archaeology of Late Bronze Age & Early Iron Age Greece, in particular:
• Political & social structures of each period and the changes taking place between them
• The relationship of Greece with the wider East Mediterranean during these periods
• Key texts, artefacts, & sites from these periods

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to analyse material sources (including architecture, ceramics, frescos & other iconography, & burials)
• Ability to analyse textual sources (including Linear B tablets and a range of early alphabetic Greek inscriptions)
• Understanding of methodologies involved in reconstructing aspects of ancient societies

Key Skills:

• Ability to discuss & analyse primary sources
• Ability to critically engage with secondary scholarship
• Ability to clearly present information & construct an argument, informed by evidence

• Teaching will be through a mixture of lectures to introduce students to key concepts, methodologies, themes, & sources; seminars to enable more in-depth discussion of content relating to the lectures, including the analysis of key sources; debates in which students argue for and against different interpretations of historical events and archaeological evidence; and workshop sessions to discuss approaches to the assessments. Assessments will include short commentaries on sources and essays, contributing to students understanding of the content as well as their ability to analyse sources, engage critically with secondary scholarship, and clearly present an argument.

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