Guide in PDF format
Logo

Social and Economic Ancient History

Code: 100339
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Archaeology OP 4
History OB 2
Ancient Studies OB 3

Contact lecturer

Name :
Borja Antela Bernardez
Email :
borja.antela@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Borja Antela Bernardez
Joan Oller Guzman

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no specific prerequisites, although it is recommended that interested students have a basic understanding of Ancient History.

Objectives

The course will focus on the analysis of social processes and economic systems generated in the Near Eastern and Greco-Roman worlds. In addition to addressing the social and economic elements of the Near Eastern states, as well as Greek and Roman, plural and constantly evolving, will analyze the impact that had the commercial and military expansion led by them in their respective geographical areas of action, dealing with specific case studies.

At the end of the course, the student must acquire a basic knowledge of the main social and economic structures of both the Near Eastern and Greco-Roman worlds, as well as be able to analyze, process, and interpret any additional material, both primary and secondary sources (bibliography), demonstrating a first assimilation of the basic principles of historical research methodology.

Learning outcomes

  1. Effectively expressing themselves and applying the argumentative and textual processes of formal and scientific texts.
  2. Carrying out oral presentations using appropriate academic vocabulary and style.
  3. Identifying the specific methods of History and its relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  4. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  5. Identifying the characteristic methods of Archaeology and its relationship with the historical analysis.
  6. Using the specific interpretational and technical vocabulary of the discipline.
  7. Recognising the importance of controlling the quality of the work's results and its presentation.
  8. Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
  9. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  10. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  11. Transmitting the results of archaeological research and clearly communicating conclusions in oral and written form to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  12. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  13. Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  14. Mastering the relevant languages to the necessary degree in the professional practice.
  15. Interpreting material sources and the archaeological record.
  16. Mastering the diachronic structure of the past.
  17. Mastering the Universal Ancient History.
  18. Mastering and identifying the history of immediate environment.
  19. Interpreting and analysing documentary sources.
  20. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  21. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  22. Using computing resources of the area of study of history.
  23. Critically analysing informational speeches, especially in relation to ideology and ethnocentric and sexist bias.
  24. Interpreting historical texts in relation to archaeological contexts.
  25. Knowing the main historiographical debates concerning the Middle Ages.
  26. Using research sources characteristic of the study of Catalonia's History.
  27. Analysing the key issues that allow us to address the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.
  28. Describing the economic, social and political structures of the Middle Ages.
  29. Analyse the historical processes that lead to armed conflict.
  30. Reading historical texts written in several formats.
  31. Critically assessing the models explaining the ancient times.
  32. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  33. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  34. Solving problems autonomously.
  35. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  36. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  37. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  38. Describing the economic, social and political structures of classical societies.
  39. Critically assessing the models explaining the ancient times.
  40. Coordinating work of interdisciplinary nature with other teams.
  41. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  42. Identifying the specific methods of history and their relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  43. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  44. Explain the main historical events in Ancient Egypt and the Greco-Roman world.
  45. Describe the economic, social and political structures of the classical societies.
  46. Analyse processes of acculturation among the peoples of classical antiquity.
  47. Integrate the study of ancient Catalonia into general historical discourse and point out its singularities.
  48. Explain the main historiographic debates on antiquity.
  49. Relate the historical texts to their archaeological contexts.
  50. Show expertise in the reading of historical texts written on various media.
  51. Analyse the key issues that help to approach the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.

Contents

1.- History of the discipline.


2.- Economic concepts. Karl Polanyi.


3.- Economy and society in the Ancient Near East. The merchant.


4.- Economy and society in the Ancient Egypt.


5.- Socio-economic structures of the Greco-Roman world. The pólis and the ciuitas.


6.- Forms of dependence.


7.- Territorium.


8.- Negotium.


9.- Otium.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Personal study. Comprehensive reading of texts and interpretation of documents 45 1.8 9, 19, 23, 30, 31, 36, 50
Comprehensive study of texts and documents of antiquity 5.5 0.22 8, 15, 19, 23, 30, 49, 50
Theoretical classes 35 1.4 6, 8, 16, 17, 19, 25, 28, 30, 31, 38, 39, 42, 43, 45, 48
Tutorial 15 0.6 21, 25, 30, 35, 48
Writing reviews, papers and analysis 15 0.6 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41

- Attendance to theoretical sessions led by the teacher.

- Comprehensive reading of texts and interpretation of maps, graphics, archaeological documents.

- Carrying out reviews, works and analytical comments.

- Personal study.

The teaching methodology and the evaluation proposed in the guide may undergo some modification subject to the onsite teaching restrictions imposed by health authorities.

Reminder:

It is only allowed to enter the classroom during the first 5 minutes of the lesson and only to leave the classroom during the last 5 minutes of the lesson.

No food or drinks may be consumed during the class.

Students may not consult their mobile phones during class.

Any duly justified exception to these rules must be explicitly approved in advance by the professor.


The sessions and their contents are protected by intellectual property and data protection regulations. Recording, reproducing, or sharing classes or participants' contributions is not permitted without prior authorization. Any recording must be expressly authorized.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Activity of Design of Research 30% 17 0.68 9, 10, 12, 14, 20, 30, 33, 34, 37, 40, 44
Exam 40% 1.5 0.06 1, 6, 8, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48
Sources/Bibliography and Reading Comprehension Activity 30% 16 0.64 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 49, 50, 51

Assessment for the course will be based on two components:


1.- CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT (60% of the overall grade). Two mandatory practical activities will be assigned, each requiring the submission of a written paper. These practical activities will consist of:

a) A bibliographic and research design activity (30%).

b) A primary source and reading comprehension activity (30%).


2.- WRITTEN EXAM ASSESSMENT (40% of the overall grade): A final exam will be held, consisting of two parts: an essay question (covering cross-cutting themes), with a choice of one out of two (25%); and a text commentary (based on a primary or secondary source) (15%). The exam will take place during class time (90 minutes).


On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

The minimum mark to average the continuous assessment activities and the written test will be 3,5. However, the final average (sum of all the assessable elements) must always be equal to or higher than 5.


The delivery of the activities, as well as the completion of the written test, are indispensable requirements to be able to opt for the reassessment. In this sense, the reassessment will consist of taking a test equivalent to the failed one, although the maximum mark that can be achieved will be 5.


It should be noted that any detected irregularity (plagiarism or copying) will result in a zero (0) and the loss of the right to re-evaluation.


Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items


Attendance and participation during the theoretical sessions will be positively assessed.

The schedule of the assessment tests cannot be modified (except in justified exceptional cases).


Erasmus students who request to bring an exam forward must present the professor with a written document from their home university justifying their request.



REASSESSMENT

To be able to take part in the reassessment, students must have previously been evaluated in a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade (CONTINUED EVALUATION) or submit all the tests planned (SINGLE EVALUATION). However, those activities that the teacher considers not to be recoverable may be excluded from the reassessment process, for example: oral presentations, group work, tasks related to daily teaching activity.

The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.



SINGLE EVALUATION

In the single evaluation modality, together with the WRITTEN TEST (40% of the final grade) we will have to complete two face-to-face exercises, one relating to bibliographic activities and research design (30% of the final grade) , and another on primary sources and reading comprehension (30% of the mark).

Choosing the single assessment DO NOT exempt the student from attending classes.


USE OF Artififical Intelligence Tools

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will

be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.


IRREGULARITIES (Fraud/Copy):

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary

process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.


Erasmus

Erasmus students who need to leave before the scheduled assessment dates must provide an official document from their home university, addressed to the Degree Exchange Coordinator, confirming a calendar

conflict (an overlap with academic activities at their home institution).

Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.


Assessment dates can’t be changed unless there’s an exceptional and well-justified reason.

If a student has a documented chronic or acute illness, they can request to postpone the assessment, if it fits within the academic calendar. These requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance and include the required documentation. If the reason is an unexpected situation considered force majeure, the regulations allow the request to be submitted after the scheduled date, provided the documentation is delivered within three working days. This includes situations such as the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a partner or a close relative (up to second degree). In cases of illness or other circumstances, the documentation must clearly show that the student was not in a condition to take the assessment at the scheduled time. Teaching staff may also use their discretion to consider other circumstances not explicitly listed above.

Bibliography

1) Pròxim Orient i Egipte

GELB, Ignace J., Historia de la escritura, Alianza, Madrid 1993.

GONZÁLEZ-WAGNER, Carlos, El Próximo Oriente Antiguo, Síntesis, Madrid 1993.

GRIMAL, Nicolas, Historia del Antiguo Egipto, Akal, Madrid 1996.

KEMP, Barry J., El Antiguo Egipto. Anatomía de una civilización, Crítica, Barcelona 1992.

KLÍMA, Josef, Sociedad y cultura en la Antigua Mesopotamia, Akal, Madrid 1983.

LIVERANI, Mario, El Antiguo Oriente. Historia, sociedad y economía, Crítica, Barcelona 1995.

MARGUERON, Jean-Claude, Los mesopotámicos, Cátedra, Madrid 2002.

MESKELL, Lynn, Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt, Princeton 2002.

PADRÓ, Josep, Historia del Egipto faraónico, Alianza, Madrid 2001.

REDMAN, Charles L., Los orígenes de la civilización, Crítica, Barcelona 1990.

ROBINS, Gay, Women in Ancient Egypt, Cambridge 1993.

SERRANO, José Miguel, Textos para la historia antigua de Egipto, Cátedra, Madrid 1993.

SHAW, Ian (ed.), The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, OUP, Oxford 2000.

SNELL, Daniel C., A Companion to the Ancient Near East, Blackwell, Oxford 2005.

TRIGGER, Bruce G. et alii, Historia del Egipto Antiguo, Crítica, Barcelona 1997.

VAN DE MIEROOP, Marc, A History of the Ancient Near East, Blackwell, Malden 2007.


2) Grècia i Roma

ANNEQUIN, Jacques et alii, Formas de explotación del trabajo y relaciones sociales en la Antigüedad clásica, Madrid 1979.

ARIÈS, Philippe; DUBY, Georges (dirs.), Historia de la vida privada, 1, Taurus, Madrid 1992.

AUSTIN, Michel M.; VIDAL-NAQUET, Pierre, Economía y sociedad en la Grecia Antigua, Barcelona 1986.

BADIAN, Ernst, Roman Imperialism in the Late Republic, Blackwell, Oxford 1968.

BRUNT, Peter A., Conflictos sociales en la República romana, Buenos Aires 1973.

CANTARELLA, Eva, La mujer romana, Santiago de Compostela 1991.

CARANDINI, Andrea, L'Anatomia della Scimmia, Turín 1979.

COTTERELL, Arthur, Los orígenes de la civilización europea, Crítica, Barcelona 1986.

CRAWFORD, Michael H., Coinage and Money Under the Roman Republic, Londres 1985.

DE LA VILLA, Jesús (ed.), Mujeres de la Antigüedad, Alianza, Madrid 2004.

DE MARTINO, Francesco, Historia económica de la Roma antigua (2 vols.), Akal, Madrid 1985.

DOMÍNGUEZ MONEDERO, Adolfo J., La Polis y la expansión colonial griega, Síntesis, Barcelona 1991.

DOMÍNGUEZ MONEDERO, Adolfo J., Solón y Atenas, Alianza, Madrid 1999.

ECKSTEIN, Arthur M., Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War and the Rise of Rome, Berkeley 2006.

ERDKAMP, Paul (ed.), A Companion to the Roman Army, Blackwell, Oxford 2007.

ÉTIENNE, Robert, La vida cotidiana en Pompeya, Temas de Hoy, Madrid 1992.

FANTHAM, Elaine et alii (eds.), Women in the Classical World, Nova York 1994.

FINLEY, Moses I., El mundo de Odiseo, FCE, México 1961.

FINLEY, Moses I., Economía y sociedad en la antigua Grecia, Crítica, Barcelona 1984.

FINLEY, Moses I. (ed.), Estudios sobre Historia Antigua, Akal, Madrid 1981.

FORNIS, César, Esparta: historia, sociedad y cultura de un mito, Crítica, Madrid 2003.

GARNSEY, Peter; SALLER, Richard, El Imperio Romano. Economía, sociedad y cultura, Crítica, Barcelona 1990.

GREENE, Kevin, The Archaeology of the Roman Economy, Berkeley 1986.

GRIMAL, Pierre, La formación del Imperio romano, Siglo XXI, Madrid 1990.

HARRIS, William V., Guerra e imperialismo en la Roma republicana, Siglo XXI, Madrid 1989.

HINDESS, Barry; HIRST, Paul Q., Los modos de producción precapitalistas, Barcelona 1977.

HOPKINS, Keith, Conquistadores y Esclavos, Barcelona 1981.

HUMBERT, Michel, Institutions politiques et sociales de l'Antiquité, Précis Dalloz, París 1986.

KOVALIOV, Serguei I. (o Sergei I. Kovaliov/Kovalev, según transliteración), Historia de Roma, Akal Textos, Madrid 1973.

LÉVÊQUE, Pierre; VIDAL-NAQUET, Pierre, Clisthène l’Athénien, Les Belles Lettres, París 1964.

BUDIN, Stephanie Lynn; TURFA, Jean Macintosh (eds.), Women in Antiquity, Routledge, Londres 2016.

MACLEAN, Rose, Freed Slaves and Roman Imperial Culture: Social Integration and the Transformation of Values, Cambridge 2018.

MARROU, Henri-Irénée, Historia de la educación en la Antigüedad (2 vols.), Akal, Madrid 1985.

MORLEY, Neville, Trade in Classical Antiquity, Cambridge 2007.

MOSSÉ, Claude, Les institutions politiques grecques, Armand Colin, París 1967.

MOSSÉ, Claude, Historia de una democracia: Atenas, Akal, Madrid 1987.

MOSSÉ, Claude, La mujer en la Grecia Antigua, Nerea, Madrid 1990.

NAVARRO, Milagros, Perfectissima femina: Femmes de l'élite dans l'Hispanie romaine, Ausonius, Bordeaux 2023.

NICOLET, Claude, Roma y la conquista del mundo mediterráneo (2 vols.), Labor, Barcelona 1982.

OLIVA, Pavel, Esparta y sus problemas sociales, Akal, Madrid 1983.

PEACHIN, Michael (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Relations in the Roman World, Blackwell, Oxford 2011/2014.

PLÁCIDO, Domingo, Introducción al Mundo Antiguo: problemas teóricos y metodológicos, Madrid 1993.

DU PLESSIS, Paul J. et alii (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Roman Law and Society, Blackwell/OUP, Oxford 2016.

POMEROY, Sarah B., Diosas, Rameras, Esposas y Esclavas, Akal, Madrid 1991.

POMEROY, Sarah B. et alii, La Antigua Grecia, Crítica, Barcelona 2001.

ROLDÁN, José Manuel, El Imperialismo romano: Roma y la conquista, Síntesis, Madrid 1994.

ROSENSTEIN, Nathan; MORSTEIN-MARX, Robert (eds.), A Companion to the Roman Republic, Blackwell, Oxford 2006.

ROWLANDSON, Jane, Women and Society in Greek and Roman Egypt: A Sourcebook, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998.

ROUGÉ, Jean, Les institutions romaines, Armand Colin, París 1969.

RÜPKE, Jörg (ed.), A Companion to Roman Religion, Blackwell, Oxford 2011.

SCHEIDEL, Walter et alii (eds.), The Cambridge Economic History of the Greco-Roman World, Cambridge 2007.

SNODGRASS, Anthony M., Archaic Greece: The Age of Experiment, Londres 1980.

STAERMAN, Elena M.; TROFIMOVA, Maria K., La esclavitud en la Italia Imperial, Madrid 1979.

STE. CROIX, Geoffrey E. M. de, La lucha de clases en el mundo griego antiguo, Crítica, Barcelona 1988.

STRUVE, Vasili V. (también transliterado Vasily/Vasilij V. Struve), Historia de la Antigua Grecia, Akal Textos, Madrid 1979.

SYME, Ronald, La Revolución Romana, Taurus, Madrid 1989.

VEYNE, Paul, La sociedad romana, Madrid 1990.

VLACHOS, Georges C., Les sociétés politiques homériques, PUF, París 1974.

WINTERLING, Aloys, Politics and Society in Imperial Rome, Blackwell, Oxford 2009.

Software

None.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 3 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 3 Catalan first semester morning-mixed