Year 7 History
Expedition photos from Jules Barthoux, 1926
Written by
Editing and layout by
Ann Butler
Program Coordinator
Melbourne Museum
Barbara Wels
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List of Contents
EDUCATION KIT
History Year 7
Teacher Notes
Introduction
1
Pedagogical Framework
3
Curriculum Links
4
Student Activities
Overview of the Period
Activity 1
What Makes Afghanistan the Centre of the Ancient
6
World?
Activity 2
Silk Road or Melting Pot?
In-Depth Study
Activity 3
Alexander the Great
Activity 4
Arrian and the Legends of Alexander
Activity 5
Does Alexander Deserve his Heroic Reputation?
9
15
16
20
23
Resources
40
Exhibition Map
43
Teacher Notes
Introduction
In 2013-14 Queensland Museum & Sciencentre is hosting Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures
from the National Museum, Kabul — an exhibition of precious artefacts from four important
archaeological sites. The exhibition explores the interconnections between the different
societies of the ancient world and the blending of cultural influences. The Afghan
Government and officials from the National Museum in Kabul agree that it is important to the
recovery and future of their country that the cultural artefacts of their rich and varied history
are preserved. Visit the museum website at http://www.nationalmuseum.af/ to see how this
is happening.
Melbourne Museum has developed a series of Education Kits (licensed for use by
Queensland Museum) including this History Kit. The ‘Introduction to the Exhibition’ Kit is a
great starting point for teachers.
All kits can be downloaded from the Queensland Museum exhibition website.
The National Geographic website is another useful resource. It includes short videos of each
of the four archaeological sites featured in this exhibition. Go to:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/ and
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/afghanistan-treasures/
Learning about history from Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul can introduce students to
Afghanistan’s central place in the ancient world, both geographically and strategically. Its
role as the central hub of the Silk Road allows teachers to pursue links from Begram (one of
the most important cities on the Silk Road and one of the significant archaeological sites)
through to the Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilisations trading in the
region.
Studying the ancient world allows students to walk with archaeologists and scholars as they
piece together the stories of the past. This exhibition is relevant to both the Overview and
Depth Studies of Year 7 Historical Knowledge and Understanding. A study of Afghanistan
through its nomad groups, early settlements and the Silk Road engages students with an
exploration of what we currently know about the past and the mysteries that still remain.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 1
Teacher Notes
The activities in this kit ideally serve as an introduction to the Ancient World theme. Both
units of work in this kit provide opportunities for students to develop historical understanding
through an examination of primary and secondary sources of evidence. Students are invited
to work collaboratively to devise questions that frame inquiries. Ongoing developments in the
archaeological discovery of Afghanistan create an ideal setting for students to appreciate the
kind of debates that engage the experts.
Activity 1 and 2 have been designed in response to the History Overview section of the
Year 7 curriculum.
Melbourne Museum suggest comparing with their online Unit on Mesopotamia, to take
students through an understanding of the transition from nomadic life to a more settled
existence, and the growth of cities and the interconnectedness of the ancient world. This
works well as a launching pad into the Depth Studies.
Go to: http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/education/education-kits/thewonders-of-ancient-mesopotamia
Activities 3 - 5 present a Depth Study on Alexander the Great. A large and valuable
collection of artefacts from one of the most significant archaeological sites, Ai Khanum,
invites students to enter the vast world of the Ancient Greek Empires. Ai Khanum
is thought to have been settled by Greek descendants of soldiers from Alexander’s army.
But far from being merely ethnically Greek, they kept alive a thriving Hellenistic culture that
had far-reaching influences within Afghan culture in general. Alexander’s exploits in
Afghanistan and the rest of Central Asia are remarkable illustrations of the power behind
empires as well as a study in heroism and leadership. The Roman historian Arrian is our
main source of information about Alexander the Great. In this unit, students will interrogate
the reliability of Arrian’s text by examining his stated motivation and excerpts from his
history.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Teacher Notes
Pedagogical Framework
The units of work within this kit are structured so that students are working collaboratively to
undertake inquiries and share their results. The Historical Skills strand applies processes of
formulating hypotheses, collecting evidence and drawing conclusions. This reflects the
Australian Curriculum’s Critical and Creative thinking framework, which encourages:

reasoning, processing and inquiry

creativity

reflection, evaluation and metacognition.
It is expected that students will develop a metacognitive approach to their learning,
identifying strengths and weaknesses. This is also reflected in the Personal and Social
capability domain which calls on students to monitor their progress as learners.
CHECK from orig THIS INSN’t CUT & P FROM ART Consequently, a reflective exercise has
been added at the end of the activity. Teachers may like to encourage students to keep a
Learning Log or Journal as they complete the tasks of the Unit. In this way they are better
able to identify correct conceptions and misconceptions, as an important step in the learning
process.
Students are asked to compare content and analyse data by identifying and evaluating
sources, interpret different social, cultural and historical contexts and organising their
findings.
Guidelines to assist with group Inquiry Learning have been devised by Melbourne Museum:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/education/community-of-inquiry/.
For additional exhibition resources that are ideal for classroom use, be sure to visit the
National Geographic website:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/afghanistan-treasures/
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 3
Teacher Notes
Curriculum Links
Hidden Treasures and Year 7 History
Historical Knowledge and Understanding
Classroom Resources
in Museum Education Kit
Overview
Depth Study
Understand broad patterns of historical
change.
All activities
An examination of the evidence for the
establishment of ancient societies: The
tension between nomadic and settled
life.
Overview of the Historical
Period
Activity 1
What makes Afghanistan the
Centre of the Ancient World?
Activity 2
Silk Road or Melting Pot?
An investigation of one of the key
features of ancient societies: Trade
along the Silk Road, including contact
with India and China.
Overview of the Historical
Period
Activity 1
What makes Afghanistan the
Centre of the Ancient World?
Activity 2
Silk Road or Melting Pot?
The methods and sources used to
investigate historical controversies that
have challenged historians.
In-Depth Study
Activity 3
Alexander the Great
Activity 4
Arrian and the Legends of
Alexander
Activity 5
Does Alexander deserve his
heroic reputation?
Contacts and conflicts with other
societies, resulting in developments
such as the conquest of other lands.
In-Depth Study
Activity 3
Alexander the Great
The role of significant individuals:
Alexander the Great as a Greek hero.
Contacts with other societies resulting
in the expansion of trade and the
spread of religious beliefs.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
In-Depth Study
Activity 3
Alexander the Great
Activity 4
Arrian and the Legends of
Alexander
Activity 5
Does Alexander deserve his
heroic reputation?
Activity 2
Silk Road or Melting Pot?
page 4
Teacher Notes
Hidden Treasures and Year 7 History (continued)
Thinking Processes
Classroom Resources
in Museum Education Kit
Reasoning,
processing and
inquiry
Students locate and select relevant
information.
Inquiry tasks in all activities
Students use a range of strategies of
reasoning and analysis to evaluate
evidence.
Creativity
Students explore possibilities and
generate multiple options.
Inquiry tasks in all activities
Reflection,
Evaluation and
Metacognition
Students use specific language to
describe their thinking and modify and
evaluate their thinking strategies.
Reflective Learning Journal
Students describe and explain
changes that may occur in their ideas
and beliefs over time.
Personal Learning
The Individual
Learner
Classroom Resources
Students monitor and describe their
progress as learners, identifying
strengths and weaknesses
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Reflective Learning Journal
page 5
Student Activity 1
Introduction
The Silk Road
What we have come to see as separate civilisations in the ancient world were actually
civilisations connected together by a series of trade routes. Long before the first century AD
the flourishing civilisation of Mesopotamia was connected to Afghanistan through its demand
for lapis lazuli and other precious stones and minerals. They were also trading with Egypt for
gold. Conquests in war created an intermingling of ethnic groups and cultures as conquered
peoples were brought back as slaves. The defeat of Babylon by the Persians and their own
later defeat by the Greeks created an exchange of learning and culture. This intermingling
stimulated the creativity of each of the civilisations flourishing at that time. Alexander the
Great’s three year long journey of conquest through Central Asia in 320 BC, established the
Hellenistic tradition in Bactria in Northern Afghanistan.
There was, however, during the first century AD —the period of the early Roman Empire —
intense growth in commerce. The Mediterranean basin and South Asia were connected by
vast and complex networks of long distance travel and commerce. Begram in Afghanistan is
positioned as a node in the vast Eurasian and Indian Ocean networks of trade and
commerce. (For activities on the geography of the Silk Road please see the Hidden
Treasures Geography Education Kit on the Melbourne Museum website).
TIP
You can download and print out a map of the Silk Road at:
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Silk+Road+Map&hl=en&safe=active&tbo=d&rlz=1T4A
DSA_enAU376AU377&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FbIZUYIao52ZBdz1gfAF&ved=0C
AoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1127&bih=592
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 1
What Makes Afghanistan the Centre of the Ancient World?
Task 1: Map the Silk Road
Using the blank map of Afghanistan on the following page, mark the following places and
features on your copy or printout, using an atlas as a guide.
a) Begram
b) The two rivers which meet at Begram – the Ghurband and the Panjhir
c) Kabul, 80 kilometres north
d) The Khyber Pass, 250 kilometres north-west
e) The Panjhir River
f)
The Jalalabad Plains
g) Bactria to the north
h) The Hindu Kush
i)
The paths to China
j)
Taxila
Can you see that Begram was located centrally among other ancient cultures, in the first
century AD?
Task 2: Map sea trade in the Afghanistan region
Begram was also connected to sea trade in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
Mark the following places on your map.
a) The Indian Ocean
b) The Red Sea
c) The sea ports of Barbarikon and Barygaza
d) The paths from Begram to the Mediterranean Sea
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 1
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Silk Road or Melting Pot?
The name ‘Silk Road’ is a little misleading because it was not just one road and silk was not
the only item being traded. No merchant would have travelled the whole road from one end
to the other — there were trading centres along the way. The movement and exchange of
goods along the Silk Road spread artistic styles and techniques across a number of diverse
civilisations that were quite far apart. The artefacts in the exhibition reflect this rich crosspollination (or melting pot) of artistry and ideas.
Begram was a particularly large and important trading centre, not just because of its position
on the route. It was very close both to the only known source of lapis lazuli and to Bactria,
which had a well-established tradition of metal smelting.
The importance of Begram was first revealed to the modern world when the archaeologist
Joseph Hackin discovered two sealed rooms at the site. The rooms were filled with many
exotic objects which came from all over the trade routes of the time. The find caused some
controversy among archaeologists. Hackin originally believed that he had found the treasure
rooms of a palace but further study suggested that these were storerooms full of luxury items
to be traded.
Task 1: Follow the roads out of Afghanistan
You’ll need to download and print out a map of the Silk Road for this task.
Go to:
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Silk+Road+Map&hl=en&safe=active&tbo=d&rlz=1T4A
DSA_enAU376AU377&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FbIZUYIao52ZBdz1gfAF&ved=0C
AoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1127&bih=592
a) All of the objects shown in the following pages were found in the sealed
rooms at Begram on the Silk Road. Do what the archaeologists did — follow
the tracks. For each object, you have been given some clues to help you
discover its country of origin.
b) Decide where each object (or the style of its design) came from.
c) Mark each place or area on your map of the Silk Road and write the object
number there.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Objects 1 and 2
Clues to help you decide where the object/design/style came from:

These objects are made from ivory.

Both were designed as decoration for furniture — one as an insert for a chair and the
other as a table leg. The wooden parts have rotted away.

The woman in the statue is said to resemble the goddess Ganga.

Other ivory works have been found in Uzbekistan and in Pompeii.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Object 3
Clues

It’s made of glass. How might the shape have been made?

Analysis of the glass found it to be very similar to the kind found in Egypt and the Near
East.

Ancient sources mention Alexandria as a centre for glass manufacturing.

Examples of this type of glass have been found throughout the ancient Roman world
and in southern India.

You may need to research who was in power in Egypt during the first century AD.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Object 4
Clues

This is made of plaster.

It was thought to be a cast for making bronze medallions.

Fingerprints were found on the front.

They are not decorated in any way.

The child is clutching a butterfly against his breast.

The Greek name for butterfly was Psyche.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Object 5
Clues

This is made of bronze.

It is a scale weight.

It may have originally been used as a cosmetic jar.

The figure is wearing a cuirass.

It may represent the god Mars.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 2
Task 2: Connect the places, objects, materials and ideas
a) Take another look at the five objects and your map.
b) Draw a diagram with Begram at the centre, connecting out to the places where the
objects came from.
c) Next to the name of each place, list the key materials, ideas or other influences that
came to Begram via the Silk Road. These elements represent the melting pot of
culture found in Afghanistan’s cultural heritage and the place it is today.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 3
Depth Study
Alexander the Great
Background on Ai Khanum
In 1961, the King of Afghanistan Mohamed Zahir Shah was out hunting when he discovered
a Corinthian capital. Archaeologists subsequently uncovered the site at Ai Khanum and
discovered the remains of a city founded by Greeks and evidence that they had continued to
both speak their own language and maintain many of their cultural traditions until they were
conquered by nomads in 145 BC.
Ai Khanum was a remarkable find because it indicated that a Greek city had once existed
5,000 kilometres from Greece. For a long time, archaeologists and historians had speculated
as to whether one of Alexander the Great’s legendary cities would ever be found. Alexander
was said to have founded a large number of cities during his long journey through Central
Asia from 331 BC but nobody was exactly sure where they were. Ai Khanum wasn’t founded
by Alexander but by descendants of his troops.
Many of the objects in the Museum’s exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the
National Museum, Kabul, come from this site at Ai Khanum and are evidence of the rich
culture set in place by the descendants of Alexander’s armies and the settlement he began.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 15
Student Activity 3
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great is perhaps one of the best known figures of the ancient world,
especially the ancient Greek world. Although Alexander died quite young — at only about 33
years of age — he had a very eventful life. He has been the subject of many stories and a
great deal of myth-making over the centuries.
‘The story of Alexander has been told and retold, part history, part legend. Specialists have
devoted lifetimes of scholarship debating the ‘Romance of Alexander.’ Over eighty versions
in twenty-six languages exist. Folktales about Iskander (as most Middle Eastern groups call
Alexander) are still told in villages and camps of Afghanistan.’
Dupree, L., Afghanistan, Princeton University Press, USA, 1980
‘Alexander revolutionised the East, or, at any rate, so much of it as was connected with the
West by intercourse or reciprocal influence. The results of a conquest affected in ten years
continued for as many centuries, and remain in some respects to the present day. The
Hellenisation of Western Asia and North-eastern Africa, which dates from Alexander's
successes, is one of the most remarkable facts in the history of the human race, and one of
those most pregnant with important consequences. It is as absurd to deny to the author of
such a revolution the possession of extraordinary genius as to suppose that the Iliad could
have been written by a man of no particular ability.’
Rawlinson, G., History of Macedonia, The Colonial Press, New York, USA, 1899

Does Alexander deserve his heroic reputation?

Was he an exemplary leader?

How do we separate out the stories from the facts?
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 16
Student Activity 3
Task 1: Consider the idea of an exemplary leader
a) Use the worksheet below to list the people you admire and think of as your own
personal heroes, and identify their exemplary qualities.
My personal
Area/s of
heroes
leadership
Qualities
Values they
Values I hold
hold
e.g. sport,
politics,
science, the
arts, charity,
community,
school
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 17
Student Activity 3
b) Are exemplary leaders also heroes or is heroism something different?
What qualities make someone a hero?
c) Are all the individuals on your list men, or are women included too?
d) How do you know about these people?
Are your sources of information reliable? What makes a source reliable?
Task 2: Define key qualities
a) As a class, see if you can agree on three key criteria or qualities for each of the
following ideas. Can you also come up with examples that meet your criteria?

an exemplary leader

a hero
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 18
Student Activity 3
b) Now, see if you can agree on three key criteria or qualities for each of the following
ideas:

a reliable historical source

a reliable online source
b) Create a list of your criteria with examples of reliable sources. Use it as a guide
when researching and evaluating the reliability of different primary and secondary
sources.
Criteria
Examples of reliable sources (historical and online)
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 19
Student Activity 4
Arrian and the Legends of Alexander
Arrian, a Roman historian, is one of the main sources of information about Alexander. Arrian
lived between AD 86 and 160. His family background was Greek but he was a Roman
citizen who wrote his history of Alexander’s campaign almost four hundred years after the
events he describes. It is difficult to believe this fact as you read his incredibly detailed
descriptions of battles and other events. His history is valuable because it incorporates
accounts from people who were alive when Alexander was, and whose writings have since
been lost.
Arrian drew on the work of:

Callisthenes, a nephew of Aristotle (who was Alexander’s tutor)

Aristobulus, who accompanied Alexander on his campaigns

Ptolemy, said to be Alexander’s half-brother, who became King of Egypt and who also
accompanied Alexander as one of his generals.
Here’s how Arrian explained his reasons for writing about Alexander.
‘No prose history, no epic poem was written about him; he was not celebrated even in such
choral odes as preserve the name and memory of Hiero or Gelo or Thero, or many other
men not in the same class as Alexander, with the result that the wonderful story of his life is
less familiar today than that of the merest nonentities of the ancient world’
‘…there has never been another man in all the world, of Greek or any other blood, who by
his own hand succeeded in so many brilliant enterprises.’
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 20
Student Activity 4
Task 1: Interrogate Arrian’s perspective
a) What do you think of Arrian’s intentions? Would modern historians share his
motivation for writing history? Why?
b) Do Arrian’s motives affect the credibility of his writing?
c) Does it matter that Arrian’s eye-witness sources are now lost? Why? How does this
affect the text’s reliability?
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 21
Student Activity 4
Task 2: Evaluate Arrian’s sources
a) Are eyewitness accounts reliable? Why?
b) What vested interests might Callisthenes, Aristobulus and Ptolemy have had in
writing their accounts of Alexander’s life and travels?
Task 3: Identify reliable sources and their interests
a) With so much information available on the internet, how do you identify reliable
sources for research?
b) What vested interests might individuals, groups or organisations have in putting
material online? What value can their information have, and for whom?
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 5
Does Alexander Deserve his Heroic Reputation?
Let’s look at what Arrian says to examine what kind of leader Alexander was.
Task 1: Focus your investigation
a) Organise yourselves into groups of four. Each member of the group should choose
one aspect of Alexander to investigate:

his personal behaviour

his military tactics

his behaviour towards his men

his behaviour towards the people he conquered.
b) Organise yourselves into new ‘expert groups’ of students who have chosen the
same aspect to investigate as you.
c) In these new groups, read the Background Briefing Notes on your topic and assess
Alexander’s behaviour using the worksheet to guide your group discussion and notetaking.
HINTS:

Alexander has been the subject of a great deal of myth-making over the centuries and
this can sometimes get in the way of the facts.

Use the worksheet to keep track of the sources of your information and note how reliable
you think the source is.

Keep in mind that ethics — values or beliefs about correct behaviour — change over
time.

Would Alexander have earned praise today for the things he was praised for in his
lifetime and in Arrian’s time?

Can we ever really understand what people thought 2,000 years ago? Why?
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 23
Student Activity 5
Task 2: Consolidate and share your findings
a) Now rejoin your original group where each ‘expert’ will report on their findings.
Remember to listen carefully and critically to what others are reporting.
b) Turn your attention to the research question: Does Alexander deserve his heroic
reputation? and complete the Group Worksheet .
c) In a presentation of approximately ten minutes, argue your group’s conclusion,
providing the reasons for your decision and the evidence on which it is based. Make
reference to the group’s values, even if there were different opinions. The two
worksheets you have completed can be used to help organise and plan your
presentation.
Task 3: Reflect on learning
Complete this when you have completed tasks 1 and 2.
a) Which part of the last activity was the most difficult to complete?
b) What things did you do to help you figure out the hardest part (e.g. talk to members
of your group, ask a teacher, use a dictionary or search the internet)?
c) Look again at the notes you recorded earlier in your log. Has your thinking and
reading changed your view about who is an exemplary leader? What would you now
say constitutes a hero?
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 5
Background Briefing Notes for Task 2
Alexander’s Personal Behaviour
1.1 In the battle with the Tyrians, Alexander himself was in the thick of it, fighting like the rest
and ever on the watch for any act of conspicuous courage in the face of danger among his
men.
1.2 Before the battle for Gaza, Alexander received a bad omen. At first he kept out of range
but sighting an attack on his troops, Alexander forgot the seer’s prophetic warning. At the
head of his guards, he hurried in support of the Macedonians at the very point where they
were hardest pressed. He later received a serious wound in the shoulder.
1.3 When the Macedonians were attacked on their way out of Bactria by tribesmen,
Alexander joined his troops in the difficult task of scaling the high cliffs. He was wounded in
the leg, his fibula broken, but despite every obstacle he took his place and only 8,000 of the
30,000 enemy soldiers survived.
1.4 On the mutilation of his enemies, Arrian has this to say about Alexander: ‘I do not myself
approve the excessive severity of this punishment: for mutilation of that sort is, I think, a
barbarous custom. I admit, moreover, that Alexander came to emulate Eastern extravagance
and splendour and the fashion of barbaric kings of treating their subjects as inferiors,
regrettable too was the assumption of Persian dress and the pointed bonnet of the
vanquished Persians. The splendid achievements of Alexander are the clearest possible
proof that neither strength of body, nor noble blood, nor success in war, can make a man
happy, unless he can win one more victory – the victory over himself.’
1.5 At a feast in honour of Dionysius, Alexander had been drinking heavily — in drink, too,
he now tended to barbaric excess. Cleitus, who was a close friend but who disliked
Alexander’s move towards the east, objected to comparisons being made between the god
Heracles and Alexander. Cleitus belittled Alexander’s achievements in comparison with his
father, Phillip II. Alexander lost his temper and struck Cleitus, who had earlier saved his life,
and killed him. Alexander was so distraught that he did not eat or drink for three days.
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity 5
1.6 In Sogdia, the natives had withdrawn to the Rock of Sogdiana which rose sheer on every
side. When Alexander approached the natives to work out a peace treaty, they responded by
laughing and told Alexander in their barbaric lingo to find soldiers with wings to capture the
Rock for him. Alexander was insulted and offended so he decided to offer money to any
soldier who would scale the rock. Three hundred accepted the challenge. The natives were
so surprised to see Alexander’s soldiers in their fortress that they surrendered.
1.7 As thanks for his victory Alexander offered 300 full suits of Persian armour to the
goddess Artemis.
1.8 He built a temple to Zeus after his victory at Sardis.
1.9 After Tyre had peacefully surrendered, Alexander made sacrifices to the Tyrian god
Heracles in one of the world’s oldest temples dedicated to him. There, he presented to
Heracles the Tyrian ship that was sacred to him.
1.10 In Babylon after the victory of Gaugamela, Alexander met the Chaldeans and took their
advice in all matters of religious ceremony, offering sacrifices to Bel in particular according to
their instructions.
Source
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
page 26
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
1.5
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
Decision
Alexander’s Personal Behaviour
Qualities
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
page 27
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
1.10
1.9
1.8
1.7
1.6
Decision
Alexander’s Personal Behaviour
Qualities
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
page 28
Student Activity 5
Background Briefing Notes for Task 2
Alexander’s Military Tactics
2.1 Before the battle of the River Granicus, Parmenio recommended a cautious approach.
Alexander chose the riskier course, partly as a tactic — it would give the Persians added
confidence — but also because of his personal reputation and that of his army. He claimed
that ‘…hesitancy would be unworthy of the fighting fame of our people and of my own
promptitude in the face of danger’.
2.2 During the battle of River Granicus, Alexander’s spear broke while he was engaged in
hand-to-hand combat. One of his men threw his own sword to Alexander who then faced
and killed Mithridates, Darius’ son-in-law. Rhoesaces sliced off part of Alexander’s helmet
and Alexander killed him but then Spithridates came at him, his scimitar raised in his hand.
Cleitus appeared and hacked off his arm.
2.3 At Miletus, against Parmenio’s advice, Alexander refused to fight the superior Persian
fleet, despite a good omen of an eagle appearing. He preferred to attack the Persians on
land.
2.4 After a successful siege, 300 Greek mercenaries had escaped to an island. Alexander
intended to kill them but was so impressed by their courage and loyalty that he offered them
places within his army instead, under his own command.
2.5 Alexander decided to disband his fleet due to lack of money and because it was no
match for the Persian navy. He also did not wish to subject his men to disaster. He knew that
he could disempower the Persian fleet by seizing coastal towns.
2.6 Darius sent envoys offering money and territory for peace. Parmenio advised him to
accept the offer. Alexander replied, ‘That is what I should do were I Parmenio; but since I am
Alexander, I shall send Darius a different answer.’ Alexander refused the offer of peace.
2.7 Alexander was advised that the city of Gaza in Palestine was too well fortified to be
taken. Alexander remained firm in his belief that the more difficult something is, the more
vitally important it is to do. He believed that a success so far beyond reason and probability
would be a serious blow to the morale of the enemy, while failure would be an equally
serious blow to his own prestige.
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Student Activity 5
2.8 To enter Bactria, Alexander and his troops had to cross the raging Oxus River. There
was not much timber to build a bridge with. Alexander instructed his men to stuff all the tents
they could find with dry rubbish and sew them up, and with the use of these all of the men
crossed the river in five days.
2.9 The attack on Cyropolis was difficult due to the city’s high strong walls. Alexander
noticed water channels that were dry and emerged below the surrounding wall, leaving room
enough for men to crawl through. Alexander and a few of his men crawled into the town and
opened the nearest gates so the rest of their troops could invade.
Source
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
2.5
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.1
Decision
Alexander’s Military Tactics
Qualities
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
2.9
2.8
2.7
2.6
Decision
Alexander’s Military Tactics
Qualities
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
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Student Activity 5
Background Briefing Notes for Task 2
Alexander’s Behaviour Towards his Men
3.1 After each battle Alexander visited the wounded, asking them each how they had
received their wounds.
3.2 Alexander had been injured by having a sword thrust in his thigh but this did not prevent
him from visiting the wounded on the day after the battle, when he also gave a splendid
military funeral. At the ceremony he spoke in praise of every man who had distinguished
himself in the fighting.
3.3 When things settled after a long campaign, he arranged for newly married men to return
home for the winter to spend time with their wives. ‘No act of Alexander’s ever made him
better beloved by his native troops’.
3.4 In preparation for the assault on Tyre, the men were building a temporary bridge to the
walls of the city. Alexander was always on the spot giving instructions as to how to proceed,
with many a word of encouragement and special rewards for conspicuously good work.
3.5 Alexander was informed of a plot against him led by Philotas who was Parmenio’s son.
Philotas was brought to trial before the Macedonians where irrefutable proof was produced.
Philotas admitted knowledge of the plot but had said nothing about it despite visiting
Alexander’s tent at least twice a day. He was executed. Parmenio, Philotas’ father and
Alexander’s loyal general, was also executed. The reason for Parmenio’s execution may
have been that Alexander could not believe that he had no share in his son’s conspiracy. On
the other hand, even granting his innocence, having Parmenio live on after his son’s
execution was already in fact a danger, for he was a man of immense prestige. He had great
influence not only with Alexander himself but also with the army.
Source
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
3. 5
3. 4
3. 3
3. 2
3.1
Decision
Qualities
Alexander’s Behaviour towards his Men
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
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Student Activity 5
Background Briefing Notes for Task 2
Alexander’s Behaviour towards the People he Conquered
4.1 After a battle, Alexander buried the dead and then granted the parents and children of
the slaughtered immunity from taxes and all other dues.
4.2 He gave rites of burial to Persian commanders and Greek mercenaries. Survivors were
taken back to Macedonia as slaves.
4.3 He allowed the local people to return to their homes.
4.4 He accepted the surrender of Mithrines at Sardis and treated him in a way suitable for
his rank. He permitted the people to observe old customs and gave them freedom.
4.5 The local leaders at Ephesus were seeking revenge on those who had supported the
revolt. Alexander put a stop to it fearing that they might kill innocents out of personal hatred
and greed ‘…with the result that his popularity never stood higher that it did on this occasion
by his handling of the situation at Ephesus’.
4.6 When he took over towns formerly ruled by Persians he ‘dispossessed the ruling elites
and established government in their place, allowing every community to enjoy its own laws
and customs’.
4.7 His sympathy was extended even to the Persian King Darius’ wife, mother and children.
On inquiring about the sounds of lamentation coming from a nearby tent, he was told that it
was Darius’ women crying because they thought that Darius was dead. Alexander
immediately sent one of his companions to tell them that Darius was alive and had fled to
safety in his war chariot. He said that he had not fought Darius out of personal bitterness but
had made legitimate war for the sovereignty of Asia.
4.8 Three of the four envoys to Darius captured by Parmenio were freed because they were
Thebans and were only trying to do the best for their conquered country. One belonged to
the noble families of Thebes and another had performed successfully at the Olympic Games.
The third he kept on his private staff because of the fame of his father’s name. The fourth
was kept under arrest because he came from a hostile city but he was also later freed.
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Student Activity 5
4.9 Azemilcus, King of Tyre, together with the dignitaries of the town, had fled to Heracles’
temple for refuge. To all of these people Alexander granted a free pardon, while everyone
else was sold into slavery — in all some 30,000 were sold.
4.10 When Bessus, the satrap of Bactria who had plotted against Darius (Alexander’s
enemy) was captured, he was stripped naked and placed in a dog collar before being
chained by the side of the road. When Alexander came to him in his chariot, he asked him
why he had betrayed and killed Darius. Bessus replied that it was to win Alexander’s favour
and save their lives. Alexander ordered him scourged and then sent away to Bactria to be
executed.
4.11 Another traitor to Darius was brought before a full meeting of his officers. Alexander
gave orders that his nose and the tips of his ears be cut off, and that thus mutilated he
should be taken back to his home to suffer public execution before his own countrymen.
Source
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.2
4.1
Decision
Qualities
Alexander’s Behaviour towards the People he Conquered
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
4.11
4.10
4.9
4.8
4.7
4.6
Decision
Qualities
Alexander’s Behaviour towards the People he Conquered
Values
Exemplary or
heroic?
Shared by
me?
Reliable
source?
Student Activity 5
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Year 7 History Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Behaviour towards the
people he conquered
Behaviour towards his men
Military Tactics
Personal Behaviour
Qualities
Does Alexander deserve his heroic reputation?
Consolidate your findings
Values
Exemplary
or heroic?
Shared by
me?
Student Activity 5
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Resources
Key Sources
National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul
Museum website including information about collections, exhibitions, images and a map
showing archaeological sites
http://www.nationalmuseum.af/
National Geographic
Information about Afghanistan, the exhibition and its themes, including maps and a fantastic
range of videos and other resources
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/Afghanistan-treasures/
Melbourne Museum
Museum website with information about exhibitions, education programs and online
resources for teachers and students including:
Guidelines on Conducting a Community of Inquiry
The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/education/
Books
Bernard, P., ‘An Ancient Greek City in Central Asia’, Scientific American, 1982, vol. 246,
no.1, 148-159
De Selincourt, A., (Translator) Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander, Penguin Books, 1971
Dupree, L., Afghanistan, Princeton University Press, USA, 1980
Hiebert, F., and Cambon, P., (editors) Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National
Museum of Kabul, Exhibition Catalogue, collective publication by National Geographic,
Museum Victoria, Queensland Museum, Art Gallery of NSW and Western Australian
Museum
Rawlinson, G., History of Macedonia, The Colonial Press, New York, USA, 1899
Tanner, S., Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War Against the
Taliban, Da Capo Press, 2009
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Resources
Websites
Academia.edu — Greek influences at Ai Khanum by Rachel Mairs
http://brown.academia.edu/RachelMairs/Papers/1545867/_The_Founder_Shrine_and_the_F
oundation_of_Ai_Khanum_
British Museum — blog with videos of glassmaking to produce glass fish found at Begram
http://blog.britishmuseum.org/category/exhibitions/Afghanistan-crossroads-of-the-ancientworld/
China Institute — comprehensive information about the Silk Road
http://www.chinainstitute.cieducationportal.org/cimain/wpcontent/themes/chinainstitute/pdfs/education/fromsilktooil_pdf3.pdf
ECAI (Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative) —information about Begram
http://www.ecai.org/begramweb/docs/BegramChapter5_3.htm
George Rawlinson — introduction to the history of Macedonia
http://www.ancientmacedonia.com/Rawlinson.html
National Geographic —interactive map with information about artefacts and themes
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/Afghanistan-treasures/
Powerhouse Museum — information about the nomads of Central Asia
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/previous/beyond_silk.php
University of California E-books Collection — Hellenism at Ai Khanum by Martin Robertson
http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft0000035f&chunk.id=ch3&toc.depth=
1&toc.id=ch3&brand=ucpress
University of Texas — map of the Greek Empire
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/alexander_ai_Khanum.jpg
University of Texas — photo of Ai Khanum before excavation
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/aikhanum.jpg
University of Texas — photo of the Theatre at Ai Khanum
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/aikhanumtheater.jpg
University of Texas — photo of Corinthian capitals at Ai Khanum
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/aikhanumcorincaps.jpg
University of Texas —photo of the Colonnade at Ai Khanum
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/aikhanumcorinthcol.jpg
University of Texas — photo of the Gymnasium at Ai Khanum
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/fallofgreece/aikhanumgymswing.jpg
YouTube Ai Khanum flyover
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=5tka9TFyWIw
YouTube Documentary: In the Footsteps of Alexander — Part 1
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=CrTS4O25Jow&feature=related
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Resources
YouTube Documentary: In the Footsteps of Alexander — Part 2
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=BYR3AEWUVyc&feature=relmfu
YouTube Documentary: In the Footsteps of Alexander — Part 3
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=nAAW0BRl21M&feature=relmfu
YouTube Documentary: In the Footsteps of Alexander — Part 4
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=g5HzkRO8TGA&feature=relmfu
YouTube National Geographic documentary on Alexander (2 hours)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhNO-dJNhWQ&feature=related
YouTube re-creation and analysis of the battle of Gaugamela, part of the Ultimate Battles
series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uHe5qFJCmk&feature=relmfu
YouTube 3D reconstruction of Ai Khanum
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=5tka9TFyWIw
YouTube video about Alexander’s battles
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=5uHe5qFJCmk&feature=relmfu
YouTube video analysing the battle of Issus as part of the Great Commanders series (44
minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrNo-13ANPY&feature=related
YouTube video showing some landscape and many of the products and crafts found on the
Silk Road —(one hour)
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=TAhaIX2dM_Y&feature=related
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Exhibition Map
Welcome to Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures
from the National Museum, Kabul.
For assistance and directions during your
Museum visit, ask our
Visitor Services Staff (black t-shirt)
or
Volunteers (purple t-shirt).

Schools and Groups
entrance/bag store: Level 0

Collectors Café: Level 2

M & F Toilets:
Level 4, Level 2, Level 0.

Accessible Toilets: Level 2, Level 0

Please note, there are no toilets located
within this exhibition.
Please recognise that some items are not permitted
within this exhibition. This and other helpful
information for Planning Your Visit available online for
Schools and Groups.
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