Undergraduate Course: The kings in the north: Scotland in the early Middle Ages (HIST10428)

Course Outline
School	School of History, Classics and Archaeology	College	College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate)	Availability	Available to all students
SCQF Credits	20	ECTS Credits	10
Summary	Before Scotland became Scotland, the north of Britain was home to many kingdoms, whose inhabitants spoke different languages and possessed different identities. During the early Middle Ages, this variegated landscape was transformed by social and political changes, resulting in the eventual emergence of a 'kingdom of Scotland' in the tenth century. This course guides students through this fundamental period in British history, looking particularly at issues of identity, ethnicity and kingdom-building in the period c.400-950 CE.
Course description	Between the fifth century and the tenth, the north of Britain was transformed. Powerful kingdoms rose and fell; new ethnic identities emerged; and by the end of the tenth century, a 'kingdom of Scotland' had begun to take shape. This course explores the processes by which these developments came about, and introduces students to a formative period in the social and political history of the British Isles. The inhabitants of early medieval Scotland have left few written sources about their life and societies. But their monumental artwork and archaeological remains, along with records from their neighbours in southern Britain and Ireland, allow us to piece together their history. A great deal of the material remains of early medieval Scotland are now held here in Edinburgh, at the National Museum of Scotland. This course offers opportunities for students to engage with this unique and fascinating material for themselves, and to think about ways in which such enigmatic artefacts can be used to introduce the public to this important period in Scotland's history.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	A pass or passes in 40 credits of first level historical courses or equivalent and a pass or passes in 40 credits of second level historical courses or equivalent. Before enrolling students on this course, Personal Tutors are asked to contact the History Honours Admission Administrator to ensure that a place is available (Tel: 504030).

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	Visiting students must have 3 History courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Enrolments for this course are managed by the CAHSS Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department. All enquiries to enrol must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces.
High Demand Course?	Yes

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1)		Quota: 17
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 40 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 20 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	One 3,000-word virtual museum exhibition, worth 40% of final mark One two-hour exam, worth 40% of final mark Presentation, worth 10% of final mark Class participation, worth 10% of final mark
Feedback	Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours for this course or by appointment.
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)			2:00

Academic year 2019/20, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)		Quota: 4
Course Start	Semester 1
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 172 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 40 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 20 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	One 3,000-word virtual museum exhibition, worth 40% of final mark One two-hour exam, worth 40% of final mark Presentation, worth 10% of final mark Class participation, worth 10% of final mark
Feedback	Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours for this course or by appointment.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination, command of the history of northern Britain in the early Middle Ages; demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination, an ability to read, analyze, and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship; demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination, an ability to understand, evaluate, and utilize a variety of primary source material; demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination, the ability to develop and sustain scholarly arguments in oral and written form, by formulating appropriate questions and utilizing relevant evidence; demonstrate independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others, including peers.

Reading List
Clarke D., A. Blackwell and M. Goldberg, Early Medieval Scotland: Individual, Communities and Ideas (Edinburgh, 2012) Clarkson, T., The Men of the North: The Britons of Southern Scotland (Edinburgh, 2010) Forsyth, K., 'Scotland to 1100', in J. Wormald (ed.), Scotland: A History (Oxford, 2005), pp. 9-35 Foster, S., Picts, Gaels and Scots: Early Historic Scotland (3rd ed., Edinburgh, 2014) Markus, G., Conceiving a Nation: Scotland to 900 AD (Edinburgh, 2017)