Course Overview
The programme mixes ancient History with Archaeology of the classical world and the methods, approaches and insights it offers, to make for a rich, broad and inter-disciplinary approach to studying the ancient world. Classical Archaeology is the study of the human past in the ancient world through an examination of physical remains such as stone tools, pottery and bones, through to buildings, structures, monuments and landscapes.
It attempts to reveal how past societies are organised, how humanity interacts with the environments and landscapes, and how ideas about the world are visible in the objects people have created. To be able to understand the past in any depth, engagement with theoretical and ethical issues is needed. This means we explore issues such as heritage, representation, land use, technology, environmental change, death, beliefs and the evolution of the human body, mind and ideas with a view to broadening and widening knowledge of how humanity has arrived at the position it is in now.
Our Ancient History provision spans different regions and continents of the world, and approaches the past in different ways, be that through the lens of economics, politics, social formations, cultural constructions, literary heritage, religious beliefs or material cultures. Whether your own interest is to study across this broad range of periods, or whether it is to focus upon your particular interest in the Ancient worlds, you will take a programme that combines infinite fascination and relevance to the world around you, with the acquisition of the right set of transferable skills with which to enter the jobs market.
This degree also offers you a number of field trips both within the UK and abroad and at the core of this degree is an intensive field visit to the Mediterranean region: currently, students visit Naples. Expert guidance on these trips will be given by members of staff from the Archaeology and Classics departments. Further work on the region is undertaken back in Lampeter, where you have the opportunity to further your knowledge of the archaeology and history of the Mediterranean.
Key Features
Reasons to choose this course include:
- Opportunity for fieldwork in the Mediterranean
- Mediterranean field trip to Athens or Naples
- Opportunities to explore two distinct disciplines
- Expert teaching and guidance
- Opportunity to work in a museum and be part of an ongoing exhibition
Modules
Typical modules include:
- Pharaohs, Phoenicians and Peoples of the Sea
- Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World
- Living and Dying in Imperial Rome
- Hieroglyphs, Text and Society
- Bronze Age Society
- Exhibiting Egypt
- Sparta: An Extraordinary City
- Funerary Beliefs in Ancient Egypt
- Religions in Antiquity
- Excavation and Fieldwork
Assessment
The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following types of assessment: essays of 1,000 to 4,000 words in length, document analysis, book/ journal reviews, short reports and reflective journals, time tests, seen and unseen exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wiki's, commentaries and film evaluations.
Career Opportunities
The careers our graduates to into include:
- Library, museum, and archive work
- Teaching, postgraduate study, research
- Administration, government organisations
- Leisure and Heritage: classical tours, heritage sites, and so on
You will develop powers of analysis, logical thought and argument within a supportive and encouraging environment. It will be these skills of communication, understanding, analysis and self-management that provide you with a passport into employment. Types of employment could include museum and archive work, journalism, law, banking, local politics, all types of administrative work, marketing and advertising, and teaching.
Related Courses
- BA Archaeology
- BA Ancient History
- BA Ancient Civilisations
- BA Archaeology of Egypt and the Near East
Tuition Fees
Annual tuition fees for entry in the academic year 2017/18 are as follows:
UK/EU: £9,000
International: £14,900
Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3% for International students and at the capped fee rate as set by the UK Government for UK/EU students.
You can find further information on fees and how to pay on our Student Finance pages.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's Bursaries and Scholarships page
Additional Costs
There is an optional field trip connected to a module for second and third year students to the Mediterranean to allow students to visit ancient sites first hand. The Faculty subsidises this trip but the cost each year is dependent on airfare, location, and currency exchange rates. The Faculty aims to keep the cost in the range £400-£700.
For the Field trip modules, a deposit is usually required in September/October to ensure a place with the full cost due in December/January. Payment is made to the Finance Office on campus or through the online payment facility.