WACE Ancient History case studies
WACE Ancient History · Put your knowledge to work in context.
WACE Ancient History is a Western Australian senior secondary course and ATAR pathway subject, assessed through a written examination set by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). It suits students who want to work with primary evidence - inscriptions, papyri, coins, archaeological remains, speeches and histories - rather than memorise a narrative. The course moves from how historians and archaeologists build arguments from fragmentary sources, through the structures of ancient societies, the exercise of power and authority, religious and civic values, and the causes and consequences of conflict and expansion. Assessment rewards precise use of sources, awareness of bias and reliability, and the ability to sustain a reasoned argument under time pressure. The WACE Ancient History case studies are 5 cases and about 2,303 words.
1The Misfiled Coin Hoard
A regional museum holds 214 silver denarii reportedly found together beneath a villa floor in 1968. The accession register lists only 'hoard, Roman, 3rd century'.
477 words, about 2 min2Who Counted as a Citizen?
A student argues that classical Athens was 'a democracy for everyone' because attendance at the assembly could reach roughly 6,000 citizens. You have three figures to work with.
460 words, about 2 min3The General Who Would Not Cross
A commander holds extraordinary power during a war: he can levy troops, raise taxes, and act without consulting the council. His term is fixed at one year, and he must give an account of his actions when he returns.
503 words, about 3 min4Reading a Votive Deposit
A sanctuary site yields 1,200 small terracotta figurines deposited over about 300 years. Most are female figures; a minority depict animals, and a few show armed men.
437 words, about 2 min5Two Accounts of One Siege
Two ancient writers describe the same siege. Writer A was not present, wrote 200 years later, and relied on an earlier history now lost; he praises the besieging general and gives casualty figures of 200,000 dead.
426 words, about 2 min