1. Handbook
  2. Subjects
  3. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia

Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (ANCW10001)

Undergraduate level 1Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

You’re viewing the 2025 Handbook:
Or view archived Handbooks

Overview

Availability
Semester 1
FeesLook up fees

This subject will introduce students to the archaeology, history, and literature of the earliest civilisations - one situated in the Nile Valley (Pharaonic Egypt), and the other in the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Mesopotamia – modern Iraq and Syria).

Neighbouring cultures in Greece, Persia, and Turkey will also be introduced. These vastly different, but interconnected societies, have stirred our imaginations for millennia, inspiring those who have shaped history, including Alexander the Great and Napoleon. They will be compared in terms of their monuments, art, mythology, epic narratives, languages, history, and social institutions. Their highly visible legacy, uncovered by generations of archaeologists and historians, will also be examined to define further the processes that developed these complex societies.

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to: 

  • Outline the development of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern civilisations
  • Reflect on the role of ancient Egypt and the Near East in modern history, as well as ethical issues related to Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeology
  • Undertake academic research and writing, analyse problems, and have enhanced communication skills
  • Compare the cultural, social, political and economic structures of ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations
  • Examine the interactions between Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations and the cultural and artistic influences that resulted from these interactions.

Generic skills

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:

  • Develop critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate concepts, beliefs, considering multiple perspectives, and supporting evidence
  • Communicate effectively in writing and synthesis an argument in cogent form
  • Evaluate the impact of social, ethical, and cultural contexts
  • Acquire greater confidence in tackling unfamiliar problems
  • Reflect on the communication conventions of another culture
  • Conduct independent research and effectively manage information.

 

 

Last updated: 11 December 2024