UCL - Seminar in Ancient History

[HIST2160]

[22.5h] 10 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Françoise Van Haeperen

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

By the end of this seminar, the student should be able to treat a question from history from the viewpoint of heuristics, criticism of sources and data interpretation. He should be able to write a research report delimiting the original question and synthesize hypotheses advanced, difficulties encountered and results obtained.

Main themes

The seminar puts the principles of historical criticism through case study and the concrete analysis of sources of various natures and origins to work. It also allows us to explore concepts and methods, as well as the models and hypotheses the confrontation of documentary sources and theoretical analyses give rise to.
During group working meetings, each participant, based on a personal preliminary work, presents his analysis of an aspect of the chosen theme, paying particular attention to heuristic and critical aspects, then submitting it for group evaluation.
The procedures and steps in treatment, as well as the synthesis and conclusions are developed in common.
By the deeper understanding of the historian's procedure it represents and the effort to communicate it involves, this seminar is direct preparation for the master memoir.

Content and teaching methods

Representing direct preparation for the licence memoir, this seminar lets each 1st licence student deal seriously with a series of problems of heuristics, criticism and interpretation the sources present and each 2nd licence student to plunge deeper into the problems, methodologies and works existing on the object of research of their memoir.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Evaluation : Based on active participation in the seminar and the capacity to present a personal work both orally and in writing. The 1st licence student turns in a written assignment at the beginning of the month of February, those in 2nd licence for 23 December.
Teaching materials : Student notes.
Teaching : By the instructor and, in some cases, assistants assigned by the Department
Preferably, this seminar should be attributed to two instructors.