AN4157 The Environmental History of the Ancient Mediterranean World

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Available to General Degree students with the permission of the Honours Advisor.

Planned timetable

To be arranged

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr R M Post

Dr R M Post
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Ruben Post

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module will explore the relationship between humans and the environment in the Mediterranean world from the end of the Bronze Age until the end of Antiquity (c. 13th c. BCE-6th c. CE). This module is designed to engage with the varied evidence types and techniques employed in this innovative and rapidly developing discipline, as well as key theoretical topics including environmental determinism, the study of nature as an “historical agent,” and resilience theory. With each seminar, students will learn how to integrate historical, archaeological, and scientific approaches in the study of major topics in the field, such as climate change, the propagation of flora and fauna, natural disasters, and health and disease. We will also consider the interplay of these different factors through the examination of several case studies on human-environment relationships, such as the Late Bronze Age collapse, the Iron Age renaissance, and the fall of the Roman Empire.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

AS STATED IN THE SCHOOL OF CLASSICS UNDERGRADUATE HANDBOOK

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

Weekly two-hour seminar (x 11 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

22

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

278

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • By the end of the module, students will be able to discuss the current state of environmental history and its theoretical and methodological underpinnings.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to understand specialised palaeoenvironmental publications and integrate varied literary, archaeological, and environmental scientific evidence types to address major topics in environmental history.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to evaluate the impact of environmental change on ancient societies, particularly in relation to questions of resilience and vulnerability.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to discuss and identify the ways in which studying human-environment relationships in the ancient Mediterranean can inform our understanding of and response to current environmental issues.

Awards

Golden Dandelion Award for excellence in Education for Sustainable Development

This module exhibits an excellent method to embed sustainability within other learning: by focussing a project around reporting on St Andrews’ sustainability effort, it both meets the module goals of teaching communication and listening in academic contexts, and exposes students to real-world issues in sustainability. This module has been awarded the Golden Dandelion Award in 2022.

You can find out about all Golden Dandelion modules