UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY ARCL0210: Archaeology of the Silk Roads 2020-2021 MA MODULE HANDBOOK: 15 credits Deadlines for coursework for this module: 19 February, 2021 & 16 April, 2021 Co-ordinator: Tim Williams [email protected] Room 602 Online office hours: Wednesday 11.00am-1.00pm ARCL0210: Archaeology of the Silk Roads Potential changes in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Please note that information regarding teaching, learning and assessment in this module handbook endeavours to be as accurate as possible. However, in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the changeable nature of the situation and the possibility of updates in government guidance, there may need to be changes during the course of the year. UCL will keep current students updated of any changes to teaching, learning and assessment on the Students’ webpages https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/. This also includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which may help you with any queries that you may have. Please refer to the online IoA Student Handbook: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/current-students/ioa-student-handbook) for instructions on coursework submission, IoA referencing guidelines and marking criteria, as well as UCL policies on penalties for late submission. ARCL0210: Archaeology of the Silk Roads CONTENTS 1 Overview........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Short description ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Aims .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Learning outcomes .................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Methods of assessment .............................................................................................. 2 1.5 Communications ........................................................................................................ 2 1.6 Timetable: Week-by-week summary......................................................................... 2 1.7 Workload ................................................................................................................... 3 2 Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Coursework: Assessment tasks .................................................................................. 3 2.1.1 Assignment One: Submission deadline: 19 February, 2021 .............................. 4 2.1.2 Assignment Two: Submission deadline: 16 April, 2021 ................................... 6 Caravanserai .................................................................................................................. 6 Maritime Indian Ocean .................................................................................................. 7 3 Resources and Preparation for Class ............................................................................ 8 3.1 Preparation for class .................................................................................................. 8 3.2 Recommended introductory resources (online) ......................................................... 9 3.3 Recommended introductory resources (offline) ........................................................ 9 4 Syllabus............................................................................................................................. 9 Week 1: Setting the scene: historiography and resources for the study of the Silk Road; general geographic and chronological frameworks (Tim Williams) .................. 9 Week 2: Horses, mobility and nomadism (Miljana Radivojević) ............................... 13 Week 3: Trade and exchange – networks (Tim Williams) .......................................... 16 Week 4: Migration and language (Dorian Fuller) ....................................................... 18 Week 5: Urbanism along the Silk Roads (Tim Williams) ........................................... 20 Week 7: Production and crafts (Miljana Radivojević) ................................................ 22 Week 8: Maritime Silk Routes (Tim Williams) .......................................................... 24 Week 9: Burial traditions and monumentality (Miljana Radivojević & Gai Jorayev) 30 Week 10: Trade, agriculture, globalisation: case studies in Northwest India/Gandhara, and the 'Southern' Silk Route (Assam/Myanmar) (Julia Shaw) .................................. 31 Week 11: Empires and liminality - the longue durée (Tim Williams) ........................ 34 Fieldtrip: date TBA subject to Covid-19 restrictions .................................................. 36 TBA: Material histories of the Silk Roads (Helen Persson Swain) ............................. 36 5 Other reading & resouces ............................................................................................. 36 5.1 Videos ...................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 Early explorers - for interest (mainly not online) .................................................... 37 5.3 Travellers and accounts ........................................................................................... 37 5.4 Stories and tales ....................................................................................................... 38 Page i ARCL0210: Archaeology of the Silk Roads 1 OVERVIEW 1.1 Short description The archaeology of the Silk Roads spans Eurasia, providing a context for the comparative debate of the impacts of short and long-distance contacts and exchange, and their impacts on societies, technologies and belief systems. The main themes centre on theories of mobility, transfer, trade, and networks, to explore how contact and interaction along various routes over time are reflected in the archaeological record. It will encourage students to adopt cross- regional and cross-disciplinary approaches, and to take a critical attitude towards theoretical paradigms and narratives that have influenced the study of the Silk Roads over the past century. This module provides a comparative overview of key debates in the archaeology of Silk Roads, with a particular focus on how and why they matter today. It will emphasise the different regional trajectories of Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Western, Central, Southern and Eastern Asia. This handbook outlines the aims and objectives, structure and content of the module. It is also available on the Institute web-site. 1.2 Aims • To provide advanced, inter-disciplinary training in Silk Roads archaeology • To introduce students to the most important current research questions and the main interpretative paradigms that have dominated the field. • To develop critical faculties both in debate and in written evaluation of current research (problems, method and theory, quality of evidence). • To engage students with the different forms of evidence (objects, archaeological sites, texts) and to critically discuss their interpretative potential for the study region. • To examine how Silk Roads archaeology is presented today to the public across the world, in the media, in museums and on sites. • To prepare students to undertake original research on topics in Silk Roads archaeology. 1.3 Learning outcomes On successful completion of this module a student should: • demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of major themes and debates in Silk Roads archaeology today; • critically analyse and present complex arguments and theories about aspects of the subject orally and in writing; • show a critical awareness of the contribution made by different academic disciplines and types of data to our understanding of the Silk Roads; • compare and analyse data and material across regional and chronological boundaries and apply acquired knowledge to individual sites and bodies of material. On successful completion of the module students should also be able to demonstrate: Page 1 ARCL0210: Archaeology of the Silk Roads • Observation and critical reflection • Application of acquired knowledge • Written and oral presentation skills 1.4 Methods of assessment The module is assessed by means of two pieces of coursework totalling c. 4,000 words. The first piece of work will be 1,000 words (25% of the final grade for this module). The second piece is 3,000 words (75% of the final grade for this module). The topics and deadlines for each assessment are specified below (section 2.1). If students are unclear about the nature of an assignment, they should contact the Module Co-ordinator. The Module Co-ordinator will be willing to discuss an outline of their approach to the assessment, provided this is planned suitably in advance of the submission date. The module comprises 15 credits towards your total degree. 1.5 Communications • Moodle is the main hub for this course. • Important information will be posted by staff in the Announcements section of the Moodle page and you will automatically receive an email notification for these. • Please post any general queries relating to module content, assessments and administration in Moodle Q&A (or via email if you prefer). The forum will be checked regularly. • For personal queries, please contact the co-ordinator by email ([email protected]) 1.6 Timetable: