Students taking Ancient History & Archaeology take the following compulsory first-year modules:
- Greek History to Alexander the Great: provides a broad survey of ancient Greek History from the Archaic period (c. 800 BC) to the reign of Alexander the Great, including the archaeology of Athens and Sparta.
- Roman History from Foundation to Empire: focuses on the rise of Rome to world power from humble beginnings, examining the political, cultural and economic consequences of imperialism, including its impact on the archaeology of the city of Rome.
Students taking Ancient History & Archaeology and Social Anthropology will also take the first-year modules in Social Anthropology.
Students taking Mediaeval History & Archaeology take:
Students taking Ancient History & Archaeology typically take the following second-year modules:
- The Roman Empire: explores the Roman empire with particular reference both to social, religious and economic changes as well as to political and military history.
- Mediterranean Communities: examines the human settlement and material culture of the entire Mediterranean world throughout classical antiquity.
Students taking Ancient History & Archaeology and Social Anthropology will also take the second-year modules in Social Anthropology.
Students taking Mediaeval History & Archaeology take the following compulsory second-year module:
- Mediaeval Europe (1000 – 1400): examines key themes that helped to shape Western Europe from the 11th to 14th centuries, a period known as the ‘High Middle Ages’.
and choose at least one from the following:
- Mediterranean Communities: deals with the human settlement and material culture of the entire Mediterranean World throughout classical antiquity.
- History as a Discipline: Development and Key Concepts: provides an introduction to key theoretical and methodological approaches which have characterised the emergence of History as a discipline since mediaeval times.
- Introduction to Middle Eastern History: provides an introduction to Middle Eastern history from the dramatic reconfiguration of the Middle East in late Antiquity to its contested and contentious recent past.
- Scotland, Britain and Empire (c. 1500-2000): provides an introduction to how and why the British nation state evolved from the separate kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland and how and why it has survived over the last three centuries.
If you take any of these degrees in your third and fourth years, you will take the following compulsory third-year module:
- Principles and Techniques in Archaeology: provides an induction to the practical conduct of archaeology and how it affects the results of excavations and surveys, and an in-depth introduction to key archaeological topics and theories.
You will then choose from a variety of advanced options which incorporate archaeology into the study of ancient and mediaeval civilisations and cultures, focusing on topics such as castles, cities and urbanisation, networks, ancient art and sculpture, and the Bronze Age civilisations of the Aegean.
Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years:
- From Pompeii to Aquileia: the Archaeology of Roman Italy (50 BCE – 300 CE)
- The Archaeology of Minoan Crete
- In the Footsteps of the Ancients: Exploring the Archaeology and Topography of Greece
- The City of Rome
- Art of the Roman Empire
- Living with Material Culture
- The Roman Army.
In fourth year, students have the option of undertaking a dissertation of about 10,000 words on an approved topic in Archaeology. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.