At a glance
A course where students investigate the ancient world using evidence such as artefacts, sites, inscriptions and ancient texts. Students learn how historians build explanations about the past and why different interpretations can exist.
This course is a good choice for students who:
- enjoy history, ancient societies and big questions about people and power
- like research, analysing sources, and building evidence-based arguments
- want strong writing, critical thinking and discussion skills
About this course
Ancient History focuses on how we know about the ancient past and what evidence can (and can’t) tell us. Students investigate ancient societies and key people and events, and explore how power, beliefs and social structures shaped the ancient world. Assessment usually includes research tasks, source analysis and extended responses (such as essays or presentations).
Pathways
This course can support pathways into areas such as:
- history, archaeology and heritage
- law, politics and international studies
- education, humanities and social sciences
- any pathway that values research, critical thinking and clear writing
Units in this course
Students complete 2 units for a Minor or 4 units for a Major.
Investigating the Ancient World
This unit is about how the ancient world has been represented and how evidence is used to build interpretations.
Students will:
- explore different types of evidence and how reliable they are
- investigate how an ancient site, event, person or group has been explained over time
Ancient Societies
This unit is about how people lived in the ancient world and what evidence shows about society and daily life.
Students will:
- investigate social, political and economic structures in ancient societies
- study a feature of society (such as beliefs, rituals, family life or slavery) using evidence
People, Power and Authority
This unit is about how power worked in ancient societies and how individuals shaped events and change.
Students will:
- explore different types of power in a chosen period
- investigate the role and impact of a significant individual using sources
Reconstruct the Ancient World
This unit is about building an understanding of a significant ancient period using a wide range of sources.
Students will:
- analyse how different sources contribute to understanding a period, event or society
- evaluate challenges in interpreting evidence and explaining the past