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30 credits, Semester one
Module leader 2024-25: Martial Staub
Module summary
Module summary
This module provides students with a grounding in key themes and debates in current medieval research. Classes will focus on historiographical developments and new methodological approaches to familiar problems, covering topics such as the problems of studying pre-industrial societies, the interpretation of material culture, methods for studying the medieval economy, and the examination of power structures and political culture. Students will also be introduced to technical and methodological problems associated with the effective use and interpretation of pre-modern sources, such as court records, tax records and accounts, chronicles and pamphlets, paintings, drawings and artefacts.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, you will be able to:
Understand current historiographical and methodological debates in medieval history
Communicate and defend an argument about the medieval period to fellow members of the seminar group, situating it within the literature and deploying technical language when necessary and appropriate
Distinguish between and critically evaluate contrasting approaches to the study of medieval history, exhibiting a sense of their development over time, and of the most recent trends in the discipline
Present your conclusions in a fluent written form, demonstrating a mastery of the appropriate bibliographical materials (including use of electronic resources such as the International Medieval Bibliography)
Evaluate and use a range of primary sources from the medieval period, with a critical understanding of genre, and of basic forms of textual analysis
Apply advanced analytical techniques and theoretical approaches to a specific historical source for the medieval period, drawing on those developed within other disciplinary contexts (such as archaeology or linguistics) where required
Contextualise and account for changes and continuities across the history of the medieval period, from late Antiquity to the Renaissance.
Learning and teaching methods
Learning and teaching methods
The module will be taught in ten, two-hour classes. You will also have individual tutorial contact with the module tutor in order to discuss your assessment for this module.
Assessment methods
Assessment methods
Assessment type - % of final mark
Essay (4,000 words) - 80%
Engagement and participation - 20%
You will complete a 4,000 word essay on a topic related to one of the module's key themes. You will define your own essay topic in discussion with your tutor. You will also complete a formative assessment to provide you with feedback ahead of completing your final essay.
You will also complete an engagement and participation exercise based on the learning activities and environment for the module. This task will be set by the module leader but may include activities such as presentations, reflective seminar diaries, contributions to discussion forums or collaborative documents.
Additional learning and teaching information
Additional learning and teaching information
Selected reading:
Robert Bartlett, The Making of Europe: conquest, colonization and cultural change, 950 – 1350 (London 1993)
Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity, AD 150–750 (London 1971)
Peter Brown, The Rise of Western Christendom: triumph and diversity, AD 200–1000 (Oxford 2003) 2nd edition
R.H.C. Davis, A History of Medieval Europe: from Constantine to St Louis (London 1957)
Richard Fletcher, The Conversion of Europe: from paganism to Christianity, 371–1386 AD (London 1998)
Maurice Keen, The Pelican History of Medieval Europe (Harmondsworth 1969)
Peter Linehan and Janet L. Nelson (eds), The Medieval World (London 2001)
R.I. Moore, The Formation of a Persecuting Society: authority and deviance in Western Europe, 950–1250 (Oxford 2006) 2nd edition
R.W. Southern, The Making of the Middle Ages (London 1953)
Julia M.H. Smith, Europe After Rome: a new cultural history 500–1000 (Oxford 2005)
Charles West, Reframing the Feudal Revolution: political and social transformation between Marne and Moselle, c. 800 to c. 1100 (Cambridge 2013)
Chris Wickham, The Inheritance of Rome: a history of Europe from 400 to 1000 (London 2009)
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