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The Dead Sea fortress Masada was the last stronghold of resistance to Roman rule in Judea. Following the outbreak of revolt against Rome (66) and the fall of Jerusalem to the soldiers of the Roman emperor Vespasian (70), the fortress was finally taken in 73/74 AD. The memory of these events has had a deep and lasting effect on western civilisation.

The story of Masada is told by Flavius Josephus, first a commander on the rebel side, later a prisoner of Vespasian, and, finally, under Vespasian’s patronage in Rome, historian of the Judean War (66-73/74) – posthumously, one of the most read historians of all time. In his lifetime, serious questions were asked about Josephus’s loyalties (“traitor or patriot”?), and his truthfulness – those questions continue to be asked by historians today as they explore Josephus’s complex identity. His account of Masada supplies a classic case study for exploring Josephus’s credibility and the politics of his history writing. As Josephus tells it, armed rebels made Masada their home in 66, men, women, and children, inspired by religious ideology: “No ruler but God”. As proof of their beliefs, the leaders of Masada chose to kill themselves and their families (960 people) rather than surrender to the Roman forces who had laid siege to the fortress. Josephus condemns the rebels of Masada for their resistance to Rome and blames their ideology for the catastrophe of the war. But in their self-inflicted death, he also portrays them as heroes, admired for their bravery by the Roman soldiers who found their bodies. The story raises many questions. Not least, what really happened at Masada?

Following the excavation of Masada in the 1960s, the fortress has yielded a remarkable treasure-trove of evidence about the lives of the people who lived there and the Roman siege operation, which brought their occupation to an end. For historians of the ancient world, this is a rare and precious chance to compare the history of a major event with material evidence from the site of action. Does it confirm or refute Josephus? Can the archaeology tell us about that rarest of things, the viewpoint of rebels against Roman rule? In the modern world, the rebels’ last stand at Masada has become a powerful symbol of heroic resistance but also of survival: “Masada shall not fall again”.

The Dead Sea fortress Masada was the last stronghold of resistance to Roman rule in Judea. Following the outbreak of revolt against Rome (66) and the fall of Jerusalem to the soldiers of the Roman emperor Vespasian (70), the fortress was finally taken in 73/74 AD. The memory of these events has had a deep and lasting effect on western civilisation.

The story of Masada is told by Flavius Josephus, first a commander on the rebel side, later a prisoner of Vespasian, and, finally, under Vespasian’s patronage in Rome, historian of the Judean War (66-73/74) – posthumously, one of the most read historians of all time. In his lifetime, serious questions were asked about Josephus’s loyalties (“traitor or patriot”?), and his truthfulness – those questions continue to be asked by historians today as they explore Josephus’s complex identity. His account of Masada supplies a classic case study for exploring Josephus’s credibility and the politics of his history writing. As Josephus tells it, armed rebels made Masada their home in 66, men, women, and children, inspired by religious ideology: “No ruler but God”. As proof of their beliefs, the leaders of Masada chose to kill themselves and their families (960 people) rather than surrender to the Roman forces who had laid siege to the fortress. Josephus condemns the rebels of Masada for their resistance to Rome and blames their ideology for the catastrophe of the war. But in their self-inflicted death, he also portrays them as heroes, admired for their bravery by the Roman soldiers who found their bodies. The story raises many questions. Not least, what really happened at Masada?

Following the excavation of Masada in the 1960s, the fortress has yielded a remarkable treasure-trove of evidence about the lives of the people who lived there and the Roman siege operation, which brought their occupation to an end. For historians of the ancient world, this is a rare and precious chance to compare the history of a major event with material evidence from the site of action. Does it confirm or refute Josephus? Can the archaeology tell us about that rarest of things, the viewpoint of rebels against Roman rule? In the modern world, the rebels’ last stand at Masada has become a powerful symbol of heroic resistance but also of survival: “Masada shall not fall again”.

Mass spectrometry is the key enabling technology for the 21st century. It delivers practical and sustainable innovations to enable significant advancements in areas such as healthcare delivery, life sciences, environmental management, energy, food safety, and water quality. This module will explore the tenets of modern mass spectrometry and introduce advanced techniques and applications.

Mass spectrometry is the key enabling technology for the 21st century. It delivers practical and sustainable innovations to enable significant advancements in areas such as healthcare delivery, life sciences, environmental management, energy, food safety, and water quality. This module will explore the tenets of modern mass spectrometry and introduce advanced techniques and applications.

This second year module continues to develop the links between structures and materials, building on the fundamentals established in the first year course on mechanics, structures and materials. The relationship between composition, microstructure and properties of materials is linked to a deeper understanding of their structural performance. This assessment of structural performance is also developed through more advanced stress and deflection analyses for more complex engineering components and systems. This combination of approaches will strengthen the students’ understanding of the interplay between materials engineering and structural design. This module also develops the foundations for more advanced third year and fourth year modules in materials and solid mechanics.

Successful engineering design depends on selecting the right materials and understanding how they perform in service. Building on the foundations established in your first year, this module will deepen your understanding of the relationship between materials, structures and mechanical performance.

You will explore how the composition and microstructure of engineering materials influence their properties, structural perfroamnce and durability, while developing more advanced methods for analysing stress, deformation and structural behaviour in engineering components. By combining materials science with structural analysis, you will gain a broader understanding of how engineers design safe, efficient and reliable structures.

Throughout the module, you will strengthen your analytical, modelling and engineering judgement skills, enabling you to evaluate both material selection and structural performance in real engineering applications. This knowledge provides an important foundation for advanced study in materials engineering, structural mechanics and engineering design.

Successful engineering design depends on selecting the right materials and understanding how they perform in service. Building on the foundations established in your first year, this module will deepen your understanding of the relationship between materials, structures and mechanical performance.

You will explore how the composition and microstructure of engineering materials influence their properties, structural perfroamnce and durability, while developing more advanced methods for analysing stress, deformation and structural behaviour in engineering components. By combining materials science with structural analysis, you will gain a broader understanding of how engineers design safe, efficient and reliable structures.

Throughout the module, you will strengthen your analytical, modelling and engineering judgement skills, enabling you to evaluate both material selection and structural performance in real engineering applications. This knowledge provides an important foundation for advanced study in materials engineering, structural mechanics and engineering design.

The performance of many engineering systems depends on selecting materials that can operate reliably under demanding mechanical and environmental conditions. This module explores the advanced metallic materials used in transport engineering, examining how their composition and microstructure determine their performance in service.

You will investigate aluminium, titanium, nickel-based alloys and steels, alongside emerging materials such as metal matrix composites, intermetallics and engineering ceramics. Through the concept of microstructural engineering, you will develop an understanding of how engineers tailor material properties through processing and composition to achieve specific performance requirements. Throughout the module, you will strengthen your ability to evaluate material selection for challenging engineering applications using examples from the aerospace, automotive and marine sectors.

By the end of the module, you will understand how advanced engineering materials are designed and selected to meet demanding service requirements, providing valuable knowledge for careers in materials engineering, manufacturing and high-performance engineering design.

The performance of many engineering systems depends on selecting materials that can operate reliably under demanding mechanical and environmental conditions. This module explores the advanced metallic materials used in transport engineering, examining how their composition and microstructure determine their performance in service.

You will investigate aluminium, titanium, nickel-based alloys and steels, alongside emerging materials such as metal matrix composites, intermetallics and engineering ceramics. Through the concept of microstructural engineering, you will develop an understanding of how engineers tailor material properties through processing and composition to achieve specific performance requirements. Throughout the module, you will strengthen your ability to evaluate material selection for challenging engineering applications using examples from the aerospace, automotive and marine sectors.

By the end of the module, you will understand how advanced engineering materials are designed and selected to meet demanding service requirements, providing valuable knowledge for careers in materials engineering, manufacturing and high-performance engineering design.