Duration: 2 years part-time, 1 year full-time
Start dates: February, June, October

Course aims and objectives

This course aims to:

• develop an approach to the study of the classical Mediterranean that takes a critical perspective of the long history of the investigation of its textual and material remains - landscapes, buildings, art, inscriptions, coins and other archaeological finds
• take an approach to the classical world that engages with current debates in ancient history and historical archaeology
• provide you with a high level of competence in the cultures of the Greek and Roman Mediterranean
• familiarise you with current theoretical approaches used in Greek and Roman studies and to enable you to reflect critically on the potential of these
• enable you to reflect critically on the economic, social, political, cultural, artistic and religious developments and interaction between the various regions and powers of the Mediterranean region in classical antiquity

This interdisciplinary programme provides an exciting and challenging forum for exploring the archaeology and history of the Classical Mediterranean world. Our integrated exploration of texts and material culture within a range of spatial and landscape contexts enables full recognition of the societies and economies that shaped classical antiquity.

Course structure

EITHER

• Doing Historical Archaeology
• Classical Landscapes
• Encountering the Classical World: Sites, Monuments, Artefacts (field-based)
• Households and Domesticity in the Ancient World
  PLUS
• Dissertation (15,000 words)

OR

Three modules from the following:

• Doing Historical Archaeology
• Classical Landscapes
• Encountering the Classical World: Sites, Monuments, Artefacts (includes field trip)
• Households and Domesticity in the Ancient World
  PLUS
• Dissertation (20,000 words)

Postgraduate module information

Special features

• This course draws on staff expertise and specialisms which are exceptional in Britain, ranging from Greek urban societies to Roman economies and late antique identities. Our expertise extends from southern Gaul to North Africa and Syria to enable coherent analysis of the whole Mediterranean.
• The Encountering the Classical World module includes a one-week research tour in the Mediterranean held around Easter each year. The module is compulsory unless you have chosen to do the extended dissertation, in which case it is optional.
• Students who aim to progress on to doctoral research on completion of the programme can opt to do an extended dissertation of 20,000 words (90 credits) and three taught modules instead of four taught modules and a standard dissertation.