A comprehensive introduction to both early European history and field archaeology. This course presents a challenging view of both the field science and the history that it helps to recreate. Topics covered within the course include:

European history, people and communities of the past,
Archaeology as a science,
Archaeology skills,
Site identification, survey and exploration,
Identification, recovery and dating of common artefacts,
Valuable artefacts,
Artefact preservation,
Research and archive records,
Site case studies,
Building up social and historical models of the past from the evidence that we find,
Artefact recovery,
Identification,
Preservation.

Learn about Europe's maritime past, its people, vessels, their exploration, conquest and trade with new lands and colonies. Drawing on a wealth of historical sources, traditional and modern theories, this course presents a traditional yet often challenging view of both marine archaeology and the history that it helps to recreate. Topics covered within the course include:

European history covering 1400 - 1950,
European powers and their vessels,
European exploration,
Marine trade routes,
War, weather and wrecks,
Marine archaeology as a science,
Archaeology skills,
Research and archive records,
Site identification, survey and exploration,
Identification, recovery and dating of common artefacts,
Valuable artefacts,
Artefact preservation.

Since Marco Polo "opened up" a closed and secretive Orient to the Western world, scholars have long been fascinated by their customs, art, philosophy and culture. This course not only explores these topics in depth, but shows how East Asia's extensive involvement in world affairs began thousands of years before Marco Polo. Almost every page reveals little-known facts, such as: a record of persistent Chinese imperialism in the region; Tibet's status as a major power from the 7th to the 9th centuries BC., frequently invading China and decimating Chinese armies; and Japan's dependence on Korea for its early development. In a time when the writing of history is increasingly specialised, Warren I. Cohen has made a move against the grain. In broad, but revealing brushstrokes, he paints a huge canvas of East Asia's place in world affairs throughout four millennia. Just as Cohen thinks broadly across time, so too, he defines the boundaries of East Asia liberally, looking beyond China, Japan, and Korea to include Southeast Asia. In addition, Cohen stretches the scope of international relations beyond its usual limitations to consider the vital role of cultural as well as economic exchanges. Topics covered within the course include:

SECTION A: ORIENTAL STUDIES

Oriental studies - an introduction,
Regional and political geography,
Chronology of the region: 4000 BC to 1900 AD,
Dynasties and kingdoms of the Ancient Orient,
Historical overview,
Mongolian empire,
Persian empire,
Chinese empire,
Japanese empire,
European empires.

SECTION B: THE ORIENTAL WORLD

4000 BC to 1000 BC
A history of the major kingdoms and regions in the Orient from 4000 BC to 1000 BC; their politics, art, culture and trade

1000 BC to 1500 AD
A history of the major kingdoms and regions in the Orient from 1000 BC to 1500 AD; their politics, art, culture and trade

SECTION C: EAST MEETS WEST

1500 AD TO 1900 AD
A detailed history of early contact with the European Empires, looking at the short and long term influence of the Dutch, the French and the British on the region and its people.

A fascinating course charting the rise of the Greek civilisation, including the beginnings of the Minoan civilisation in Crete, their Mediterranean settlements, war, the Peloponnesian war, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the sacking of Corinth by the Romans. The course is issued in two sections, each consisting of three marked projects, and includes supporting text books and tutorial support by telephone or email. Your diploma is issued upon satisfactory completion. Topics covered within the course include:

Ancient Greece - an introduction
Minoans, c.2000 BC
Early settlements
Early conflicts
Early period art and culture
Alexander the Great: the rise of Alexander, early campaigns and conflict, Alexander's Eastern campaigns and conquest
Cultural and artistic legacy.

A comprehensive course charting the history of Britain from the Roman invasion through to the English civil war. Beginning with the Roman invasion of Britain, this course looks at the development of Britain under Roman rule at the height of the Roman Empire. We look at how the wealth of this empire funded the establishment of cities such as London and York, and how its slow decline at the hands of the Vandals and Visigoths lead to a weakness in Britain that the Vikings were readily able to exploit. Looking at Britain under the Vikings, we follow their influence through to the Norman Conquest in 1066. The dramatic changes in life in Norman Britain, the creation of the Domesday Book, and the gradual development of a society and culture from which modern day Britain has grown.

The Magna Carta, the Crusades, the One Hundred Years' War, Agincourt, Henry VIII's split with Rome and the English Civil War are all covered in detail, and whilst the course has a broad range, considerable emphasis is placed upon the key points within this evolutionary period of British history. Not all dates and facts! Instead, time is taken to look at our society through this period, examining how people lived and what they thought of the events around them.

This is a modern history course tracing the rise to power of both Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill against the dynamic backdrop of World War II. Where did these men come from? What factors shaped their characters and destiny? How did they rise to power, and what factors motivated them to act in the way that they did? These questions and more are answered using both personal accounts and the historical record, to build both a fascinating and detailed insight into the personality and history of both leaders.

This is a modern history course tracking the origins and progress of both the first and second world wars. Beginning with the rise of colonialism and the political conflicts between France, Germany and Britain, the course follows the development and key stages of the First World War within the European theatre, the armistice and attempts at a political reconciliation.

In the second section we look at the rise of Hitler within the German political vacuum that followed the spread of fascism in detail, both from a historical and personal perspective. The main events, battles and characters are covered in detail, and the effects of war are seen through both a historical and social perspective.

This is a comprehensive course, charting the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and its widespread influence throughout the Mediterranean world. Rome was an empire long before it had an emperor, yet the eighty or so emperors who reigned from Augustus to the fall of Rome presided over one of the greatest empires this world has ever known. Who were these men? How did they shape their world? The history and personalities of these leaders are examined in detail, along with the monuments they built and the event that both shaped and destroyed them.