The Preliminary course provides students with opportunities to develop and apply their understanding of methods and issues involved in the investigation of the ancient past. Students have the opportunity to engage in the study of a range of features, people, places, events and developments of the ancient world.
The HSC course provides students with opportunities to apply their understanding of archaeological and written sources and relevant issues in the investigation of the ancient past. Through a core study, students investigate the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and explore issues relating to reconstruction and conservation of the past. They also study the key features and sources of an ancient society, personality and historical period.
The course outline for Ancient History can be found on page X of the Subject Information Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Ancient History, is the Core Study more difficult than the Electives?
Why design notes specifically for Ancient History?
In Ancient History, is the Core Study more difficult than the Electives?
To a degree, yes. Most Ancient History students find the Core Study of Pompeii and Herculaneum to be the most difficult of the four modules they have to study in the HSC course, simply for the reason that it is one of the most content-heavy modules available. That being said, the actual difficulty depends on your own strengths and weaknesses. If you’re skilled at memorising facts and sources, then you might just find the Core module particularly easy. If, on the other hand, you’re the type of person who’s great at synthesising information and concepts to make informed judgements and evaluations, you might find the Personality and Period modules rather effortless and the Core module quite difficult.
According to the Syllabus, 120 classroom hours are dedicated to HSC Ancient History. The Core Study and each Elective is given 25% of the course time. Essentially, they’re all supposed to be the same, content-wise - but we know it’s not!
Why design notes specifically for Ancient History?
- It’ll help you retain content
- You’ll have everything in one place
- When it comes to doing practice exams, you’ll have your sources and evidence right there when you slay study time with the
If you have further questions, please contact:
HSIE Coordinator - Mr Nick Hales