Classical Archaeology and Ancient History

Classical archaeology and ancient history brings together two complementary ways of understanding the ancient world. Archaeology recovers and interprets the material remains of past societies, from monumental architecture and sculpture to everyday objects, settlements and landscapes, using physical evidence to reconstruct how people lived, what they believed and how their societies were organised. Ancient history draws on textual sources, from epic poetry and philosophical treatises to legal inscriptions and private letters, to develop a nuanced account of the political, cultural and social life of Greece and Rome.

Together the two disciplines give you a richer and more critical understanding of antiquity than either could provide alone.

At Royal Holloway, University of London you will examine the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome across a broad chronological and thematic range, developing expertise in reading ancient texts critically and in interpreting the archaeological evidence for ancient material culture. The programme runs full time over three years and includes a placement year, a year abroad and work-placement experience, giving you the opportunity to engage with classical sites, museums, collections and research environments beyond the classroom. These opportunities to work with primary material in the field or in museum contexts deepen your practical understanding of the discipline and strengthen the professional skills you take into the graduate market.

You will develop skills in source analysis, critical argument, extended research writing and the synthesis of diverse types of evidence. These transferable abilities are valued by employers across many sectors.

Graduates from classical archaeology and ancient history programmes pursue careers in museums, heritage management, archaeology, education, publishing, journalism and the civil service. The critical and analytical skills the degree develops are also highly transferable to law, finance, policy and many other professional fields. Postgraduate study in classical archaeology, ancient history, museum studies or heritage conservation is a common route for those who want to develop specialist expertise.