Underworld and Afterlife (ANCW30011)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1
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“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” 
—Haruki Murakami
Blind Window, Sleeping Woman.

Does this mean that death is just another ordinary part of everyday life? Or that life continues on beyond death? Or something else entirely? 

Underworld and Afterlife explores the many and varied ways that death is an integral part of human existence. This subject analyses and interprets a varied range of evidence, including literature, material objects, and visual art, from the ancient worlds of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. Ranging from Egyptian sarcophagi to Mesopotamian hymns and from Greek tragedy to Roman funerary monuments, Underworld and Afterlife considers:

• What kind of afterlife is there? What does it take to reach it?
• Where is the afterlife located? How does is fit into the known universe? 
• What role do gods play in the transition from life to death? 
• How are the bodies of the deceased treated? What rituals are involved? 
• How do people process and express grief? 
• What role do the dead play in the lives of the living? 

Interrogating the surviving primary sources and the most up-to-date scholarship, this subject seeks answers to the questions that have been central to human cultures and societies throughout history.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to: 

  • Reflect on ancient myths and rituals discussed in the subject and the primary sources available for their study
  • Identify and articulate the relationships between funerary rituals and objects and the social, religious, and political contexts of their production
  • Identify and critically engage with scholarship
  • Implement their own academic practice an understanding of the expectations of scholarship in the discipline of Ancient World Studies
  • Communicate interpretations of ancient funerary ritual, objects, and theories effectively, both orally and in writing
  • Approach all evidence about Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman culture and society with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values
  • Work effectively, in groups and independently, to identify, discuss and critically analyse key issues in the interpretation of ancient funerary culture and society.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject, students 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: 4 April 2025

Eligibility and requirements

Prerequisites


Corequisites


Non-allowed subjects


Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.

Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

Last updated: 4 April 2025

Assessment

DescriptionTimingPercentage

A source analysis

  • 600 words
Week 515%

A literature review

  • 1800 words
Week 845%

A research essay

  • 1600 words
During the examination period40%
Hurdle requirement: 1. Attendance hurdle requirement: This subject has a minimum requirement of 80% attendance at tutorials, seminars, or workshops. There is an expectation that students attend lectures.Throughout the teaching periodN/A
Hurdle requirement: 2. Late Penalty and Assessment hurdle requirement: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at five per cent (5%) of the possible marks available for the assessment task per day or part thereof. All pieces of assessment must be submitted to pass the subject. Each submitted assessment must be complete, constitute a genuine attempt to address the requirements of the task and will not be accepted after 20 University business days from the original assessment due date without written approval. Throughout the semesterN/A

Last updated: 4 April 2025

Dates & times

  • Semester 1
    CoordinatorSarah Corrigan
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours30 hours: 1 x 1.5-hour lecture per week and 1 x 1-hour tutorial per week for 12 weeks.
    Total time commitment170 hours
    Teaching period 3 March 2025 to 1 June 2025
    Last self-enrol date14 March 2025
    Census date31 March 2025
    Last date to withdraw without fail 9 May 2025
    Assessment period ends27 June 2025

    Semester 1 contact information

    Dr Sarah Corrigan: sarah.corrigan@unimelb.edu.au

Time commitment details

170 hours

What do these dates mean

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  • Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
  • And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
       -  Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
     

    Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.

Last updated: 4 April 2025

Further information

Last updated: 4 April 2025