ANT4501 – Ancient Heritages: Premodern Perspectives
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Heritage is often understood as a modern notion. Its origins are commonly believed to lie in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and in national (if not nationalist) agendas. Even the ever-growing interest in local, indigenous, and dissonant heritages in the fields of Heritage Studies and the Social Sciences have largely been restricted to (recent) modernity.
This PhD/MA workshop explores how modern notions of ‘heritage’ can be applied to the study of premodern societies and their views on cultural preservation and transmission. In particular, we would like to address the following sets of questions:
- How can concepts and insights from modern Heritage Studies be applied to the study of premodern societies? And, vice versa, how can a longer historical analysis contribute to a better understanding of modern heritage? What are the dangers of anachronism? And how can these be tackled?
- How has the modern notion of ‘heritage’ developed? How is it rooted in earlier ideas about the engagement with significant objects, texts, and languages from the remote past? How and why did ‘heritage’ emerge as the dominant concept?
- What alternative concepts and metaphors do we have to think and talk about heritage? For example: legacy, afterlife, survival, tradition. How do they work, and what are their conceptual gains and losses for understanding premodern heritage phenomena?
The course consists of a three-day workshop in Rome and preparatory work in advance. Rome is an excellent place to interrogate both modern and premodern notions of heritage as it is the focal point of various forms of heritage, from ‘local’ to ‘universal’, from material to immaterial, from antiquity to the present day.
Learning outcome
After completion of the workshop you will:
- have developed a fuller understanding of current debates on the notion of heritage and their implications for the study of premodern cultures;
- have become familiar with some key heritage sites in Rome as well as the historical and conceptual questions they raise;
- be able to meaningfully relate your case study both to larger historical and conceptual questions regarding heritage and to other cases presented at the workshop;
- have engaged with material and scholarship across a range of disciplines relevant to questions of heritage.
Admission
While the workshop primarily aims at PhD students, advanced MA-students with strong and relevant research interests are also welcome to apply. Please note that you are responsible for checking with your current MA programme if the workshop can be taken up as part of your regular study trajectory before you apply.
The minimum admission criteria are as follows:
- an average result of at least B in your BA-specialization (fordypningsgruppe/80-gruppe)
- at least 30 ECTS completed in your MA-program with an average result of at least B
- the workshop should have immediate relevance to the subject of your MA-thesis
We can admit 2 or 3 MA-students (see “Ranking of applicants” below).
Travel and accommodation costs are not covered, but we can offer a limited number of bursaries to cover part of the travel expenses (up to ca. 20.000 NOK in total). Where possible funding should be sought from home universities first. Lunch and coffee breaks are free of charge.
Application procedure
Your application for this workshop course must be addressed in writing to the study consultant of Classics. It must contain the following elements:
- Transcript of your study results if these are from institutions other than UiO. If you have all your results from UiO, you do not need to submit your study results.
- Cover letter explaining your motivation and how you expect this workshop to advance your scholarly ambitions.
- A letter of confirmation from your master’s programme that you are allowed to take up the course as part of your master’s degree.
- In case you would consider applying for financial support, you are expected to indicate this clearly in your cover letter.
Application deadline: 1 July 2021.
Ranking of applicants
If we get more qualified applicants than we can accommodate, we will give priority to candidates according to the following criteria:
? Average grade on the MA-courses that have been taken so far
? Average grade in the specialization group in the BA degree
? In case several candidates are considered equal, we will prioritize those who are planning an MA thesis and/or PhD project relevant to the workshop.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
- A completed BA degree
- You must have completed at least 30 ECTS of your master's degree.
Teaching
NB: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we might need to postpone the workshop to Spring 2022. You will be notified of all changes.
The course consists of three days in Rome comprising student-led presentations, guest lectures, and site visits. Student participants will present their ideas in the form of statement papers that will be discussed with invited experts. Site visits will probably include the Forum Romanum and the Capitoline Museums.
To be able to take the exam, the following compulsory activities must be approved by the teacher:
- A preliminary research statement (ca. 2500 words), explaining your research subject and showing awareness of the reference reading. The paper must be submitted two weeks before the workshop in Rome
- An oral presentation based on your research statement during the workshop
- Participation in the site visits in Rome
Examination
The exam consists of a portfolio which includes the following:
- A brief (ca. 800 words) reflection report on the site visits, relating the site visits to the overarching subject of the course.
- A brief reflection paper (ca. 800 words) on one presentation at the workshop, relating it to the overarching subject of the course.
- A research paper of 6 pages (excluding bibliography) on a case study or a theoretical problem that is relevant to the overarching subject of the workshop (building forth on the research statement).
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.