module
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA2014: Regions and Empires in Islamic Archaeology
This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
The module will be based on lectures (9 x 2 hours), a full day Museum visit and gallery analysis in the Victoria and Albert and British Museums in London, and seminars centred on individual student presentations on agreed topics (1 x 2 hours). Lectures will be occasionally followed by students’ individual discussions of reading assignments. Where relevant, Islamic archaeological handling artifacts and material culture will be used in lectures and seminars, and short films on Islamic material culture and heritage shown and discussed. The following themes may be covered.
- The time of the Prophet Muhammad and the Umayyads
- The Abbasids
- The Fatimids and Mamluks
- Ottomans
- Merchants and sailors of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula
- South, Central, and Southeast Asia
- Museum fieldtrip and Gallery analysis (British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museums)
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 122 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 18 | 9x2 hour classes You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. On some occasions you will be asked to present material you have prepared yourself. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 4 | 2x2 hour seminars. You will need to complete all readings prior to class and be ready to participate. On some occasions you will be asked to present material you have prepared yourself. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 6 | Islamic museum visit This study event will be held in the Islamic gallery of a major UK museum (e.g. British Museum, V&A). |
| Guided Independent Study | 62 | Reading and research. |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Completing assignments. |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Preparing for assessments. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).