This is an interdisciplinary course which will look at emergence and development of the Kingdom of Alba between AD 800 and AD 1100. Emphasis will be put on the fragmentary nature of the evidence, and the methodology necessary to best work through the sources available. The main themes addressed in the course are politics, beliefs, daily life but also craftsmanship, art, and texts. The beginning of social institutions, emergence of central royal authority and ecclesiastical structures will be at the core of the discussions. One of the key-approaches of this course is its interdisciplinarity, and how to use evidence from various sources to develop a strong and nuanced understanding of this complex period.

14x1hr lectures, 6x1hr seminar/workshops over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus. This is an honours optional courses in Archaeology,History, Celtic Civilisation and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

HIST4161

N/A

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Exam (90 minutes duration) - 50%

■ Essay (2000 words) - 40%

■ Oral presentation during Seminar (10 minutes) - 10%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the exam, but extra time can be offered as reasonable adjustments.

■ There is no alternative to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ 1:1 presentation / Q&A with course convenor or recorded presentation as alternative to seminar presentation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

This course aims to:

■ Provide Honours students with an understanding of the origins of early medieval Scotland, looking at themes of politics, art, belief and daily life through the study of archaeological, textual and historical evidence and forming a critical assessment of the existing evidence.

■ Enable students to acquire a strong appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, while learning how to situate early medieval Scotland (9th to 12th c.) within its wider European context.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Acquire a critical understanding of the archaeological, literary and historical sources as evidence of the societies of the Gaelic Kindgom of Alba between AD 800 and 1100.

■ Investigate the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to build insights into early medieval societies

■ Bring these insights to bear on the emergence and development of the Kingdom of Alba.

■ Expand critical analysis of source material through group discussion in seminars

■ Develop oral and IT skills through presentations to seminar group.