HSC Ancient History study plan

Map the physical layout of Pompeii and Herculaneum from memory, labelling forum, theatres, baths, palaestra, streets and gates on a blank outline sketch

Build a dated timeline of the AD 79 eruption using the Pliny the Younger letters and the evidence of pyroclastic surges and ash layers

Classify at least fifteen site features as public, commercial, domestic or religious and record what each reveals about civic life

Explain in writing how excavation history from the Bourbon tunnelling era to modern stratigraphic work has shaped what survives today

Analyse at least ten inscriptions, graffiti and election notices and state what each shows about politics, class or gender

Compare domestic architecture across four house types and explain how the atrium, peristyle and tablinum reflect status

Evaluate the economy using evidence from workshops, garum production, markets and harbour infrastructure

Assess the reliability of the Pliny letters and the problems of using them as a factual account of the eruption

Interpret the evidence for religion and cult, including the Temple of Isis, household shrines and the Imperial cult

Debate ethical issues of conservation, tourism, looting and reburial using named site examples

Practise writing a 25-mark Cities of Vesuvius essay under timed conditions

Self-mark the essay against band descriptors and list three specific weaknesses to fix

Consolidate Domain 1 by reciting key facts, dates and terms in a self-quiz without notes

Select your Ancient Society option and list the syllabus dot-points you must cover

Identify the primary sources and modern archaeological or scholarly evidence available for that society

Draft a source list with provenance notes for every major topic in the society

Describe the social structure of the chosen society and explain how class, gender and status were expressed in material culture

Analyse the economy, including agriculture, trade and labour organisation, using specific evidence

Explain the political system and the roles of key officials, assemblies or rulers

Evaluate religious practice and belief using temples, burials and inscriptions

Write one timed 25-mark Ancient Societies essay and mark it against the criteria

Choose your Personality and build a chronology of their career with at least twelve dated events

Collect and annotate at least eight sources on that personality, noting bias and reliability

Identify the debates or interpretations scholars have raised about the personality's motives and legacy

Explain how the personality's early life and context shaped their later actions

Evaluate the personality's achievements and failures using both literary and material evidence

Select your Historical Period and map its chronology, key individuals and turning points

Link causes and consequences across the period rather than listing events

Complete two full past-paper sessions under exam timing across all four domains

Review every error and convert each into a flashcard or summary line

Recite core dates, terms and sources for all four domains from memory

Finalise a one-page revision sheet per domain for the night before the exam