What's so great about ancient content-wise? My blind assumption is that there'd be a lot of speculation about motives and facts due to a lack of primary sources but this is probably wrong.
As a history extension student, I can tell you that that blind assumption is true - but that is also very much true for modern
With modern you run into the problem of collective memory, which is very easily shaped by the agendas of society that are still very much present today (take a look at the history of the Cold War for example, on both the American and the Soviet side!). That's not to say that in Ancient, sources aren't subjective - they most definitely are (all sources are!) - However (for the most part, not always), ancient history is not so much tied to the ideologies of the present, so it can be easier to detach oneself (still overall impossible though! Plus you further run into the problem of looking at ancient through a "modern lens", but I digress
), at least imo
Honestly, I'm not gonna miss personality study hahaha
It just feels very unwieldy as a component of the syllabus to me. It doesn't test any skills that the other sections don't; depending on the personality it has nowhere near as much depth as the other sections; and tbh I don't see any unique educational benefit to it besides forcing students to analyse historiography and historical debate/interpretation, which is already implicitly in the course in topics 2 and 4 and could be made explicit by an extra sub heading to either of those.
Though the personality was my best section haha, I agree with you here, mainly because I am a staunch opponent of "Great Men History" or the "Top Down" approach - I feel like it is super reductionist to assert such a high degree of significance to one individual, which is what the unit, whether they planned to or not, conveys. However I did find Trotsky super interesting, so hoping at least he'll still feature a bit in the new Russian syllabus (not a massive fan - focuses way too much on Stalin imo).
I just love ancient, but mainly studying the different societies of that time. I find it really cool to learn about how people way back in the past lived, and how it was so much different to us today.
My class is studying Pompeii, Sparta, the Julio Claudian period (the emperors Tiberius, Gaius/Caligula, Claudius and Nero) and Agrippina. With the evidence it depends on what topic your looking at. Pompeii has been all preserved so you have human bones, plaster casts, buildings pretty much everything in exactly the same condition it was in before the eruption. I know for the other topics there isn't lot of archeological sources during that time period so there is more speculation. In terms of Ancient writers, their are quite a few but many write 100's of years after the event.
When we literally did all the same options for Ancient <3 Literally how interesting are the Julio-Claudians - definitely my favourite topic. Whose ya favourite Princeps? In terms of effectiveness - Claudius (though I do have a soft spot for good ol' Tibby - think he has been really harshly treated), in terms of most fun to learn about? Definitely Gaius (when he made his horse consul? literally what a meme lord)
Haha same! I started in year 11 with engineering studies, then i dropped that since i was doing too much maths related subjects, and went to ancient, then i dropped ancient and went to business studies (honestly don't know why i did that) then i dropped business studies and went back to ancient....
So glad i went back to ancient and stayed best choice ever . But if I went back in time and told my year 10 self that I was doing both Ancient history and extension history! he probably wouldn't believe me.
Funny how what we think we won't enjoy sometimes ends up being the best
They always come back
I was originally going to do Chemistry instead of Ancient until I found out we studied Pompeii, a historical issue I always found really fascinating (ended up enjoying the other sections even more!). Really makes me laugh though, considering how un-sciency I am as a person today!