Archaeology and Ancient History

Archaeology and ancient history together offer an extraordinary window into the human past, combining the material evidence unearthed by archaeological investigation with the documentary and literary record of the ancient world. Archaeology is the science and art of recovering, analysing, and interpreting the physical remains of past societies, from prehistoric stone tools and Bronze Age settlements to the buildings and artefacts of classical civilisations. Ancient history brings the textual traditions of Greece, Rome, and the ancient Near East into dialogue with that material evidence, asking how written sources and physical remains together build our understanding of ancient cultures.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year full-time programme is one of the most comprehensive and well-resourced in the UK, benefiting from Edinburgh's exceptional strengths in both archaeology and classics. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study these disciplines in a different country and academic tradition, and potentially to work on or near significant ancient sites. You will engage with archaeological theory and field methods, the study of ancient material culture, and the history and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as the broader ancient world of Egypt, the Near East, and prehistoric Europe.

Edinburgh's archaeological collections and research projects, as well as its connections to the many significant ancient and medieval sites in Scotland, provide a stimulating environment for this kind of study.

Graduates from Archaeology and Ancient History go on to careers in heritage and museum work, archaeological consultancy and fieldwork, archiving, education, journalism, publishing, and the civil service. Some go on to postgraduate study in archaeology, ancient history, classical studies, or heritage management, while others move into careers that draw more broadly on the research, analytical, and communication skills the degree develops. For those drawn to understanding how past societies lived and thought, this programme provides a rigorous and deeply rewarding intellectual training.