The Body in the Ancient World (VS1) (U02889)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-3-VS1-BODY

This course examines ideas of the body in terms of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity in the major civilizations of the ancient world, including Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Rome. Students will be required to engage with the methodology of gender studies and cultural studies in order to estimate the importance of the body in the literary and material cultures, as well as the ideologies, of the ancient world. Themes to be examined include ancient perceptions of masculinity, femininity, 'otherness', artistic imagery, and ethnicity as well as detailed examinations of medicine, social space, gymnastics, dance, dress, and nudity. More specific studies will examine ideas of specific body parts: eyes, hands, hair, feet, genitalis, etc., as well as themes of non-verbal communication: blushing, veiling, weeping, etc.

? Keywords : Ancient social history

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U02634

? Pre-requisites : Pass in an Ancient History 1st or 2nd Year course, or an equivalent course.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : This course is only for visiting students in Edinburgh during the 1st Semester but NOT the 2nd Semester. In order for a student to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3580 in order for approval to be obtained.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Ancient History, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	16:10	17:00	Central
Lecture	Thursday	16:10	17:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course the student will have acquired:
- an understanding of the complexity of a diverse body of evidence;
- an understanding of gender theory, cultural theory and their importance for the historian;
- an understanding of diverse ancient social structures and their interrelatedness with the source material under investigation;
- the ability to use critically a variety of different methodologies and approaches to this diverse body of source material, including both literary and material evidence;
- familiarity with real artefacts (in a museum context);
- bibliographical research skills to enable students to find independently additional information relating to the study of ancient conceptions of gender, race and the body.

Transferable skills:-
- ability to deal independently with a highly complex body of material;
- ability to develop lateral thinking and to view things in a wider perspective;
- analytical skills;
- team work skills;
- ability to concentrate on important aspects, and to make use of these in a meaningful way;
- ability to communicate one's own findings and opinions clearly and lucidly;
- oral presentation skills;
- written communication skills.