Ancient History 2019 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• understand the key words of the question
• integrate relevant historical terminology into their response
• use the reading time effectively to plan their responses
• plan their extended responses on the lined section of the answer booklet with the heading ‘plan’
• present a logical response that addresses the question directly
• refer to the given source explicitly
• support their argument by linking the given source to what it reveals.

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide judgement of the usefulness of the source as evidence
• name other sources to support their argument
• integrate sources throughout their answer
• consider different aspects of the economy, for example, public, private, occupations.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using their own knowledge and/or other sources of evidence.

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• engage with the source
• develop an argument in a logical, coherent manner
• discuss a range of issues
• integrate sources throughout the response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding general statements and including specific detail
• connecting an issue to the ethical implications.

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to:

• effectively discuss the value and limitations of the given sources
• incorporate a range of explicit examples as evidence.

Areas for students to improve include:

• using the terms in the question
• being familiar with a range of sources
• integrating the given sources into the argument instead of merely describing them.

Question 4 – New Kingdom Egypt society to the death of Amenhotep III

In better responses, students were able to:  

• discuss a range of relevant issues, providing detailed examples to support their response
• discuss a range of health issues, with reference to specific conditions, such as malaria, parasites, arthritic conditions, dental issues, obesity and refer to specific mummies, for example, Hatshepsut (b)
• discuss the findings of specific studies of human remains (b)
• explain a range of funerary customs, for example mummification, tomb construction and decoration, burial goods, texts and rituals, such as Funerary procession, Opening of the Mouth, Beautiful Feast of the Valley  (c)
• make explicit links between these customs and rituals, and specific aspects of Egyptian society, for example democratisation of religion, personal piety, ancestor veneration (c)
• integrate evidence from source E and other relevant ancient and modern sources, including Herodotus (mummification) and evidence from specific royal and non-royal tombs (c).  

Areas for students to improve include:   

• learning the specific details of the syllabus to avoid vague and generic responses
• ensuring that the response does not become a description of Egyptian diet (b)
• avoiding the use of irrelevant sources, such as, Tutankhamun’s mummy, tomb paintings (b)
• clearly explaining what funerary customs and rituals reveal about Egyptian society (c)
• ensuring the response does not become an overview of afterlife beliefs without linking back to the question (c).

Question 5 – New Kingdom Egypt society during the Ramesside period

In better responses, students were able to:  

• discuss a range of relevant issues, providing detailed examples to support the response
• discuss a range of health issues, with reference to specific conditions, such as smallpox, parasites, arthritic conditions, dental issues, obesity and refer to specific mummies, for example Seti I, Ramesses II (b)
• discuss the findings of specific studies of human remains (b)
• explain a range of written sources from the Ramesside period,  such as Hymn to Hapi, Poem of Pentaur (c)
• make explicit links between these texts and specific aspects of Egyptian society, such as the decline in Dynasty XX, afterlife beliefs, pharaonic propaganda  (c)
• integrate knowledge of source E and other relevant ancient/modern sources (c).

   Areas for students to improve include: 

• learning the specific details of the syllabus to avoid vague and generic responses
• ensuring that the response does not become a description of the Egyptian diet (b)
• avoiding the use of irrelevant sources, such as Tutankhamun’s mummy, tomb paintings  (b)    
• clearly explaining what writing and literature reveal about Egyptian society (c)
• learning the significance of prescribed texts like the Report of Wenamun, to avoid vague and descriptive responses (c).

Question 7 – Persian society at the time of Darius and Xerxes

In better responses, students were able to:  

• discuss a range of relevant issues, providing detailed examples to support the response
• accurately outline a range of roles held by women in Persian society, differentiating between social classes (a)
• discuss a range of issues relevant to Persian religious policy  including tolerance, participation in foreign customs and occasional intolerance (b)
• make clear links between Achaemenid policy and what it reveals about the Persian empire, for example multiculturalism, methods of control, rebellion (b)
• explain a range of features and issues within the empire, as revealed through art and architecture (c) 
• support their explanation through accurate integration of the provided source, and other relevant sources including the Behistun inscription, Oxus treasure, various aspects of Persepolis and Susa (c).   

Areas for students to improve include:   

• learning the specific details of the syllabus to avoid vague and generic responses
• integrating knowledge from relevant historical sources
• avoiding generic and inaccurate descriptions of the roles of women (a)
• learning the specifics of religious policy to avoid inaccurate or vague responses (b)
• learning to interpret the symbolism of official Persian art, and integrating this understanding into the explanation (c)
• developing explicit links between specific art/architecture and what it reveals about the empire (c).

Question 9 – Bronze Age: Minoan Crete

In better responses, students were able to: 

• outline the specific roles of women in society such as priestess, producing textiles or within domestic life, rather than just identify mother, wife (a)
• identify potential rituals and make a link to what these reveal about religion (deities, sanctuaries, sacrifices)
• identify a range of occupations such as within industry, crafts and religion
• explain how these occupations help us understand Minoan society in that period (c)
• integrate the source provided and use other sources (c).

 Areas for students to improve include: 

• directly addressing the question and linking their information to the question
• addressing the key words in the question rather than providing a general narrative.  

Question 11 – Athenian society in the time of Pericles

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline the roles of metics, rather than merely state who they were (a)
• identify specific myths and legends such as the birth of Athena, competition between Athena and Poseidon, and make a link to what they reveal about religion, such as gods, festivals, temples (b)
• identify a range of occupations such as pottery-making, stone masonry, metal work and shipbuilding (c)
• explain how these occupations help us understand Athenian society at the time (c)
• integrate the source provided and use other relevant sources (c). 

Areas for students to improve include:  

• directly addressing the question and linking their information to the question
• addressing the key words in the question rather than providing a general narrative    
• not confusing occupations with Athenian social structure.

Question 12 – Egypt: Hatshepsut

In better responses, students were able to:   

• structure their ideas logically and make explicit linkage back to the question to support arguments
• integrate accurate evidence from the given source, and other relevant sources (b)
• provide and describe characteristics of both temples (at least two) and tombs (two) while incorporating evidence to support these features  
• establish a clear thesis at the start, defining what our understanding of Hatshepsut means and tailor it to suit their response (b)
• make an effective and sustained judgement throughout their response (b)
• make clear judgements of the ‘value and limitations’ of the sources (b)    
• show 'understanding', tailoring their response into an argument, often narrowing down the scope of the question and linking  understanding of Hatshepsut  to a particular aspect of her reign (b)
• analyse the provided source and integrate it into judgement (b)
• provide a range of sources that demonstrate ‘value and limitations’ to an understanding of Hatshepsut (b)
• separate ‘value and limitations’ and answer them individually (b).     

Areas for students to improve include:   

• answering the question and not giving a pre-prepared response
• separating the concept of ‘value and limitations’ and making a judgement of each (b)
• understanding the source, integrating it and not ignoring it or repeating the source (b)
• integrating the historical evidence/historians.      

Question 13 – Egypt: Akhenaten

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a detailed response about the funerary customs and afterlife beliefs and link to the changes that occurred under Akhenaten (a)
• refer to actual tombs and practices to support what had changed (a)
• understand the provided source and integrate it effectively throughout their response, taking the themes from the sources  (b)
• demonstrate a good understanding of the religious reforms and how it affected funerary customs and beliefs (a) and the movement of the capital (b).     

Areas for students to improve include:   

• reading the questions carefully and addressing the aspects of the questions
• integrating the source into the response not simply quoting it
• linking the changes that occurred, not just listing what Akhenaten introduced (a)
• avoiding  just describing religious reforms
• making a reasoned judgement about the motives for the transfer of the capital.

Question 15 – The Near East: Xerxes

In better responses, students were able to: 

• refer to specific figures in Xerxes’s family background by name, describing their respective roles in detail (a)
• describe in detail relevant elements of Xerxes’s status in the lead-up to his accession (a)
• provide a cogent argument related to the effectiveness of Xerxes’s reign, through an examination of multiple themes, for example effectiveness as a military leader, administrator, builder (b)
• display comprehensive historical knowledge relevant to an assessment of Xerxes’s effectiveness, including, for example reference to specific administrative reforms, building programs, and/or military exploits (b)
• link the Holland quotation to aspects of Xerxes’s religious policy (b)
• incorporate a range of sources as support for their arguments (b).   

Areas for students to improve include:

• avoiding too much description of Xerxes’s reign post-accession (a)
• avoiding a narration of Xerxes’s reign (b)
• using sources in support of an argument, as opposed to simply listing names of authors, for example Herodotus, or inscriptions, for example the Harem inscription (b).

Question 20 – Rome: Julius Caesar

In better responses, students were able to:   

• comprehensively and correctly describe more than one of Julius Caesar’s paths to power such as his marriages, priesthoods, political positions, political alliances (such as the First Triumvirate) and his military achievements, which clearly illustrated the manner in which they served as a tool to gain power (a)
• provide a detailed, reasoned and sustained judgement of the various ways Julius Caesar’s career had an effect on his time, for example causing the fall of the Republic, undermining the senate’s power and control, the transference of soldier loyalty from the state to an individual, giving rise to the Principate, expansion of empire, change to popularist politics; linking each main point to the question (b)
• weave the source provided into the assessment being made and provide additional evidence by referring specifically to other relevant ancient/modern sources (b).   

Areas for students to improve include:  

• going beyond simply providing a description of how he attained his various political and military positions to show an understanding of the things Caesar did purposefully to obtain power (a)
• avoiding the re-telling of irrelevant information, such as being captured by pirates, without showing how this answers the question (a)
• ensuring the question and source are read carefully in order to provide a response that directly addresses the question (b)
• making a clear judgement about Caesar’s impact on his time rather than recounting his achievements (b)
• ensuring the source provided is not simply mentioned in passing or disconnected from the thesis presented (b)
• ensuring the use of sources, in addition to the one provided, as a way of substantiating the assessment being made (b).

Question 21 – Rome: Agrippina the Younger

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a response that was not just narrative-driven but provides the characteristics and features of Agrippina’s changing relationship with Nero(a)
• use the source and other relevant sources as a stimulus for their ideas and arguments and integrate it into their response (b)
• assess, rather than just describe, the ways that ancient and modern sources highlighted the question (b)
• demonstrate depth of historical knowledge about the personality’s life and career
• use historical terms and concepts consistently and in a sophisticated manner.   

Areas for students to improve include: 

• incorporating sources into the argument, not just describing them with no explanation (a and b)
• selecting sources based on relevance to the question, rather than inserting all known quotes into the response  (b)
• explicitly engaging with the source provided
• developing a clear, consistent line of argument in response to the question. 

Question 22 – New Kingdom Egypt to the death of Thutmose IV

In better responses, students were able to:

• make a perceptive judgement as to the contribution of Ahmose (a) and the extent to which Egypt's relations with other societies changed (b)
• link Ahmose and the future expansion of Egypt (a) and the changing gradual change in relations between Egypt and surrounding societies (b)
• use specific examples, showing an extensive knowledge of the topic
• link their argument and evidence to the question being asked.  

Areas for students to improve include:

• having an understanding of what exactly the question is asking
• making a judgement rather than just writing a narrative of the events
• having a sound knowledge of relevant ancient/modern sources integrating into the response.

Question 23 – New Kingdom Egypt: Amenhotep III to the death of Ramesses II

In better responses, students were able to: 

• select a range of relevant sources that supported their argument as ‘to the extent that the Armana ‘revolution’ failed’ (a) or ‘the role and contributions of queens to the development of Egypt in this period’ (b)
• use specific examples, showing an extensive knowledge of the topic
• link their argument and evidence to the question being asked
• include historical detail to support judgements. 

Areas for students to improve include: 

• avoiding chronological or biographical narratives
• avoiding generalisations about the historical period
• avoiding pre-prepared responses which do not address the requirements of the question. 

Question 27 – The Greek world 500–440 BC

In better responses, students were able to: 

• support their response with well-selected evidence
• engage with the questions consistently throughout their response
• provide a perceptive judgement on the  view  that the Athenian navy was the greatest contribution to Greek victory and Persian defeat
• evaluate this view in relation to other factors for victory (a)
• assess aspects of democracy in ancient Athens as well as the Delian League, including the contribution of the Thetes, ostracism and the enforcement of democratic government on other League states
• assess how this Empire allowed Athens to develop and spread democracy (b).      

Areas for students to improve include:   

• providing supporting sources and using them appropriately
• giving a judgement, rather than a recount or narrative of historical events
• judging the notion that the Athenian navy was the  greatest contributor  to the victories, rather than providing a narrative of the battles or the reasons for victory (a)
• providing a clear understanding of the question, that comes from the syllabus on Athenian democracy, rather than a general discussion of the Delian League and its role (b).

Question 28 – 4th century Greece to the death of Philip II

In better responses, students were able to:  

• make perceptive judgements about the significance of the named individuals or the effectiveness of war and diplomacy
• select appropriate evidence from a range of ancient/modern sources to support argument 
• integrate accurate historical detail and interpretation of sources into a logical answer.  

Areas for students to improve include:   

• using specific accurate historical detail to support a judgement
• using specific and relevant sources to support argument   
• avoiding the simple narrative response.  

Question 29 – The fall of the Roman Republic 78–31 BC

In better responses, students were able to:  

• support their ideas with accurate and relevant detail that enabled them to draw connections between developments and events relevant to the question (ie cause and effect, precedents established by the actions of others)  
• integrate accurate historical detail and interpretation of sources into a logical answer. Not just cite, but enhance their ideas with opinions and quotes from both ancient and modern historians.  

Areas for students to improve include:  

• using specific accurate historical detail to support a judgement
• using specific and relevant sources to support their argument
• avoiding the simple narrative answer.

Question 30 – The Augustan Age 44 BC–AD 14

In better responses, the students were able to: 

• discuss the change in roles and responsibilities of the Senate (a) and the role and contribution of Agrippa (b) holistically, in relation to relevant history across the Augustan Age
• recognise the key words of ‘role’, ‘change’ (a), ‘contribution’ (b)
• make a perceptive and holistic judgement based on the key words in the introduction.
• nominate the themes in the introduction to be included in the response, as support for the judgement
• include an opening sentence for each paragraph with each of the themes and connect them to the overall judgement using the appropriate key word
• include accurate, detailed and relevant historical information
• include well-selected and relevant written sources both ancient and modern
• include relevant numismatic evidence, as well as statues and buildings to support their discussion
• include a succinct summative conclusion reinforcing the judgement made.  

Areas for students to improve:

• referring directly to the key words of the question in the introduction.
• making judgements not statements
• writing thematically rather than a chronological narrative
• including only the most relevant historical detail to answer the question
• including relevant sources
• making consistent links back to the key words in the question
• making consistent links back to the judgement.

Question 31 – The Julio-Claudians AD 14–69

In better responses, students were able to: 

• make a perceptive and holistic judgement linking the building programs with the imperial cult (a) OR linking the Year of the Four Emperors with Nero’s death (b)
• make judgements which argue either for or against the extent to which the building programs developed the imperial cult (a) OR that Nero’s death was the  main reason for the Year of the Four Emperors (b)
• differentiate their judgements according to different emperors’ use of building programs to develop the imperial cult (a)
• differentiate their judgement according ways other than building programs the imperial cult was developed (a)
• differentiate their judgement according to flaws within Nero’s reign and/or flaws with the Julio-Claudian era which led to the Year of the Four Emperors (b)
• differentiate their judgement according to each of the Four Emperors, linking each failure or success back to the flaws or successes of Nero’s reign (b)
• support the judgements with well-selected sources
• support the judgements with accurate and detailed information
• include numismatic evidence, statues, inscriptions as well as buildings
• write a well-structured response with clear and definite points for discussion outlined in the introduction and then detailed in the body of the response
• write a cohesive response, with the focus consistently on the question and their judgement(s).

Areas for students to improve:  

• making judgements and referring to them consistently throughout their response
• making judgements and not statements
• consistently focusing historical detail on the question and on the judgement(s)
• writing a thematic response rather than a narrative/descriptive response
• referring to ancient and modern sources that have specific relevance to the main points of discussion to support the judgement(s).