Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

Ancient history and archaeology together allow you to study the civilisations of the ancient world from two complementary directions. Ancient history approaches the past through written sources, examining the texts, inscriptions, papyri, and coins that ancient peoples left behind and using them to reconstruct political events, social structures, religious beliefs, and cultural practices. Archaeology examines the physical remains of the past, from monumental architecture and buried cities to the everyday objects of domestic life, developing methods of excavation, survey, and scientific analysis to understand how people actually lived.

Together, the two disciplines produce a uniquely rounded understanding of ancient societies that neither can provide alone.

At the University of Reading, this four-year programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study ancient history or archaeology in another country, which might mean spending time close to the sites and collections central to your studies. Reading has particular research strengths in Greek and Roman history and in both prehistoric and classical archaeology, and you will benefit from teaching that connects directly to active scholarship. You will develop skills in the reading of ancient languages, source criticism, archaeological field methods and interpretation, and the construction of well-evidenced historical arguments, as well as broader research and analytical abilities that are highly transferable.

Graduates pursue careers in museums, heritage organisations, archaeology units, and historic environment bodies, both in the UK and internationally. Education, publishing, and cultural journalism are other common paths, as are the civil service and local government heritage services. Academic research and teaching draw a number of graduates who go on to postgraduate study at masters or doctoral level.

The analytical, research, and communication skills the degree develops are also valued in the legal profession, in finance, and in a wide range of graduate training schemes where intellectual rigour and the ability to handle complex evidence are prioritised.