Ancient History and Archaeology

Ancient history and archaeology together offer one of the most direct ways of engaging with the human past. Ancient history asks what written sources tell us about the civilisations of Greece, Rome, the Near East, and beyond, examining their politics, societies, economies, and cultures through texts that have survived millennia. Archaeology complements this by investigating what material evidence, the objects, buildings, landscapes, and physical remains of past societies, can reveal about the ways people actually lived.

The combination gives you two distinct but mutually illuminating ways of understanding antiquity.

At the University of Reading, which has particular strengths in both classical studies and field archaeology, this three-year full-time programme develops your competence in historical analysis, textual interpretation, and the methods and theory of archaeological investigation. You will have access to museums and collections that support this kind of learning, and Reading's location in the south of England gives it connections to significant archaeological sites and projects. A sandwich year is included, allowing you to spend a period in professional practice, which in this field might mean work on an excavation, in a museum, or in the heritage sector.

A year abroad is also available, giving you the opportunity to study ancient cultures closer to where they developed. Work placement activity is embedded throughout the programme.

Graduates of ancient history and archaeology programmes move into careers in the heritage sector, museums and galleries, archaeological contracting and consultancy, education, and cultural resource management. The research and communication skills the degree develops also transfer well to law, journalism, publishing, the civil service, and many other professional fields. Fieldwork and technical skills in archaeological survey and excavation can lead to specialist professional roles.

Postgraduate study in ancient history, archaeology, classical studies, or heritage management is a common next step for those who want to pursue an academic or specialist professional career.