Ancient History and Archaeology

Ancient history and archaeology together provide a remarkably complete approach to understanding the civilisations of the past. Ancient history works primarily through written sources, examining the texts and documents that ancient cultures produced to understand their societies, politics, and thought. Archaeology works through material evidence, interpreting the objects, structures, and landscapes that people left behind.

The combination allows you to triangulate between what people said and wrote and what they actually built, made, and discarded, giving you a richer and more critical understanding of the ancient world.

At the University of Leicester, this three-year full-time BA with a foundation year focuses particularly on ancient Greece and Rome alongside the wider ancient world of North Africa and the Near East. You will develop skills in reading classical texts, interpreting material remains, and understanding the peoples and legacies of the ancient Mediterranean world in their broader cultural, political, and geographical contexts. The foundation year builds the academic skills and subject knowledge needed before the main programme begins.

A year abroad is integrated, giving you the opportunity to engage with ancient sites, museums, and academic traditions in another country. The typical entry tariff is 120 points.

Ancient history and archaeology graduates work in museums, heritage organisations, archives, arts administration, education, journalism, publishing, and the civil service. Many pursue postgraduate study in classics, ancient history, archaeology, or museum studies, and some go on to professional excavation and research careers. The analytical rigour and breadth of perspective that engagement with ancient societies develops is also valued in law, management, policy, and any role that requires the critical interpretation of complex evidence.