MEDIEVAL MEDITERRANEAN HISTORY

*Contribution of the course to the overall degree programme goals*

This course offers students an introduction to the history of the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages (c. 400 CE – c. 1400 CE). The primary aim of the course is to develop students’ understanding and skills so that they are familiar with the history of the medieval Mediterranean and the key relevant historiography, and so that they begin to acquire the skills needed to study history effectively. The course will focus on major themes such as empire, migration, religion, environment, urbanisation, trade and culture in order to allow students to become familiar with a range of different aspects of the history of the medieval Mediterranean. The key goals of the course are: to familiarize students with the history and historiography of the medieval Mediterranean and the main methodologies and key concepts necessary for studying it; to enable students to work with primary sources (in translation) from the medieval Mediterranean; to allow students to begin to develop key historical skills, particularly source analysis and critical evaluation of historiography.

*Expected Learning Outcomes*

By the end of the course students should be able to:

_Knowledge and understanding_
– demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of major themes in Mediterranean history;
– demonstrate broad knowledge of the ways that the polities, societies and cultures within the lands surrouding the Mediterranean changed over the course of the Middle Ages (c. 400 CE – c. 1400 CE);
– demonstrate knowledge and understanding of selected primary sources from the medieval Mediterranean, and of their authors and contexts;
– demonstrate good general knowledge of the key historiography relating to the medieval Mediterranean, and a good understanding of the major historiographical works;
– reflect on key debates in the history of the medieval Mediterranean;
– reflect on different approaches to the history of the medieval Mediterranean, and identify appropriate methodologies for different kinds of topics;
– interpret and evaluate medieval primary sources in English translation;
– apply their knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the course so that they can present their own opinions on them;

_Disciplinary skills_
– analyse and contextualise primary sources using standard historical methodologies;
– evaluate scholarship critically using standard historical methodologies;
– combine analysis of primary sources and critical evaluation of scholarship to present their own arguments;

_Communication_
– communicate their ideas effectively and clearly, employing appropriate vocabulary and undertaking in-depth analysis;
– demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the material covered in the course in written form, effectively and in a critically-informed way.

*Prerequisites*

No previous knowledge of languages other than English are envisaged, and nor any other prerequisite requirements, but students may find it useful to have undertaken some previous study of Mediterranean history.

*Contents*

This course offers students an overview of major developments in the medieval Mediterranean (c. 400 CE - c. 1400 CE), focusing on a range of key themes which are relevant across the whole chronological period covered. This will include topics such as empire, migration, religion, environment, urbanisation, trade and culture. The course will introduce major historiographical works and allow students to develop their knowledge and understanding of the historiography of the medieval Mediterranean as a whole, as well as offering opportunities for more in-depth analysis of specific case-study areas or topics. It will also focus heavily on primary sources, and the historical methodologies used to analyse and contextualise primary sources, to enable students to develop their historical skills more generally. All textual primary sources will be studied in modern English translations, and students will also be encouraged to engage with visual and material culture throughout the course. The course will focus on comparing different areas of the Mediterranean to allow students to understand how different areas of the Mediterranean changed over the course of the Middle Ages, sometimes in substantially different ways from one another.

*Reference Texts*

– Thomas Burman, Brian A. Catlos and Mark D. Meyerson, The Sea in the Middle: The Mediterranean World 650 – 1650 (Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2022)
– Peregrine Horden and Nicholas Purcell, The Corrupting Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History (Oxford: Blackwell, 2000)

Further teaching materials will be made available online via the course Moodle site and/or provided in class.

*Assessment methods*

In-class written exam, duration 120 minutes. Students will be required to answer two questions from a choice of ten.

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

*Grading scale*

18-21:
– sufficient knowledge of the material covered in the course, with some ability to understand and interpret relevant primary sources;
– sufficient knowledge of scholarship with basic critical skills and limited ability to formulate independent judgements;
– limited communication skills.

22-25:
– satisfactory knowledge of the material covered in the course with an adequate ability to understand and interpret relevant primary sources;
– satisfactory knowledge of scholarship, with some critical skills and some ability to formulate independent judgements;
– satisfactory communication skills.

26-28:
– good knowledge of the material covered in the course with a good ability to understand and interpret relevant primary sources;
– good knowledge of scholarship, with good critical skills and good ability to formulate independent judgements;
– good communication skills.

29-30:
– excellent knowledge of the material covered in the course with an excellent ability to understand and interpret relevant primary sources;
– excellent knowledge of scholarship, with excellent critical skills and excellent ability to formulate independent judgements;
– excellent communication skills.

*Teaching methods*

Lectures. Primary sources and other material will be made available on the course Moodle site, along with the PowerPoints for each lecture. Students will be encouraged to participate actively in lectures via moments of small group discussion.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development