WEA Courses

Myth, Religion and Daily Life in Ancient Art 6 meetings on Wednesdays starting 06/01/2021. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: Sandra Smith

This course will take six important ancient sites and describe the circumstances of their discovery and the major structures and spectacular finds from them. We will then attempt to link these sites with major stories of myth, legend and religion with which they have been linked over time. Major events from history, prehistory and myth will be explored. Stories of ancient heroes, kings and monsters will be discussed along with the archaeological finds that may, or indeed may not, be associated with them.

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Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: History of Medicine from Ancient Times to the early 20th Century 10 meetings on Mondays starting 11/01/2021. 10:00am - 11:30am Tutor: Richard Marks

We all take our modern medical care for granted, but how did we get here ? In this course we shall look at how the ancient medical practitioners developed early treatments and how their understanding of the natural world influenced their decisions. We shall investigate how advances in scientific thought, such as germ theory and surgical practice, changed the way doctors treated their patients. We shall look at how advances in military medicine impacted upon the medical care of the wounded and how this impacted upon general medical care.

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The Hidden Histories of Medieval Women 8 meetings on Tuesdays starting 12/01/2021. 10:00am - 11:30am Tutor: Joanna Laynesmith

Nuns and shopkeepers, queens and gentlewomen, writers, embroiderers, prophets and peacemakers: this course will explore the hidden histories of medieval women. Using case studies of remarkable individuals, it will highlight the challenges they faced and the influence they wielded nonetheless.


This course will be delivered online.

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Ancient Egypt: An Exploration of Ancient Nubia from prehistory to the Black Pharaohs 10 meetings on Tuesdays starting 12/01/2021. 2:00pm - 4:00pm Tutor: John Billman

This course traces the history of the territory immediately to the south of ancient Egypt known as Nubia which comprises the south of Egypt and the north of Sudan today. Taught from an Egyptologists point of view this history is often intertwined with that of Egypt as we explore Egypt's occupations of Nubia, the constructions of an imperalistic Egypt and the interactions of Nubians and Egyptians.

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England in Revolution: 1640-1660 6 meetings on Thursdays starting 14/01/2021. 10:00am - 12:00pm Tutor: Symon Hill

The mid seventeenth century is one of the most tumultuous and exciting periods of English history. Rarely has so much changed so quickly. The growth of printing combined with economic turmoil and relgious conflict to fuel an explosion of new ideas as the country descended into bloody civil war. Within a few years, ideas that had once been radical had become mainstream, the monarchy was overthrown and the king beheaded. With the world turned upside down, everything that had once been unquestioned was up for debate.

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