Classical Archaeology and Latin

Classical Archaeology and Latin brings together the material and the textual remains of the ancient world, offering a way into understanding Greece and Rome that neither discipline alone can fully provide. Classical archaeology examines the physical evidence of ancient civilisations, from monumental architecture and sculpture to everyday pottery and settlement patterns, using these objects and spaces to reconstruct social, religious, and political life. Latin opens the vast body of ancient literature, law, philosophy, and history written in Rome's language, giving you direct access to texts that shaped European thought for two thousand years.

At the University of Edinburgh, you will study this combination over four years as a full-time programme, with a year abroad built into the degree. The year abroad offers the opportunity to engage with archaeological sites, museum collections, or partner universities in Europe or beyond, deepening your understanding of the ancient world in its surviving landscapes and institutions. You will develop skills in reading and translating Latin with increasing confidence and sophistication, while also learning the theoretical and practical methods that archaeologists use to date, interpret, and contextualise material culture.

You will engage with debates about how we understand antiquity, how artefacts and texts complement or contradict each other, and how classical civilisation has been received and reimagined in later periods. The programme builds careful analytical thinking, strong written argument, and the patience required to work with fragmentary evidence.

Graduates of Classical Archaeology and Latin pursue careers in museums, heritage organisations, universities, and cultural policy, as well as roles in publishing, the civil service, law, and education. The discipline's combination of languages, critical analysis, and attention to material culture is valued across many fields. Further study options include postgraduate degrees in classical studies, ancient history, archaeology, museum studies, or Latin and Greek, with opportunities for both academic research and professional heritage work.