Year 1

You will study the archaeological past from the origins of the human species to the 20th century, learning the aims and methods of archaeology along the way. You will also gain practical experience in a wide variety of archaeological skills. In early Summer, you will take part in a local archaeological fieldschool. Recently we have run fabulous fieldschools at Bradgate Park with sites from the Mesolithic to the historic period, including the Tudor mansion of Lady Jane Grey (England's famous nine-day Queen), and the Iron Age hillfort of Burrough Hill. And in Ancient History you will gain key insights into the span and names of ancient Greek and Roman history, and critically explore the types of textual guides to these cultures.

Modules

• Approaching Ancient Evidence (Greek)
• Introduction to Greek History
• An Introduction to World Archaeology BC
• Archaeology: The Essentials
• Approaching Ancient Evidence (Roman)
• Introduction to Roman History
• An Introduction to World Archaeology AD
• Debates in Archaeological Heritage

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2

In your second year, for your Ancient History strand, you will choose two aspects of Greek and Roman history to study in detail. These are taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, with a strong emphasis on encountering ancient primary sources in translation. You will also take two core modules focusing on sources and methods in Ancient History and archaeological theory that will give you the key skills you need to succeed in these subjects. At the end of the year you will be able to participate in a research excavation.

Core modules

• Sources, Method, and Theory for Ancient History
• Fieldwork 1
• Theory and Archaeology

Option modules

You will choose two option modules, one module from each of the lists below.

Ancient History modules

• The Age of Augustus
• Classical and Hellenistic Greek States
• Religion in the Roman World

Archaeology modules

• Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Iron Age Britain and Ireland
• Living in Towns: Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeological Approaches
• Heritage Skills
• Archaeological Survey and Geomatics

You will then choose a further three option modules from the lists below. Two should be from Ancient History and one from Archaeology.

Ancient History modules

• The Ancient Near East
• Greek History in 40 Lives
• Classical and Post-classical Latin
• The Late Antique World

Archaeology modules

• Environmental Archaeology
• Archaeology of the Roman Empire
• Artefact Analysis
• Archaeological Survey and Geomatics

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year Abroad (optional)

We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.

Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.

For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.

Please note

• A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
• You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
• Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
• Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final Year

A core focus of your final year will see you write a dissertation on a topic of your choice that may be focused on either Ancient History or Archaeology, although you are encouraged to use both historical and archaeological sources in your chosen theme. You will also choose four option modules from a wide selection. These are chiefly taught in smaller group sizes, which will help you to handle historical problems at a more advanced theoretical level, and to refine your skills in evaluating evidence and drawing conclusions from it.

Core modules

• Fieldwork 2
• Archaeology, Ancient History and Archaeology, History and Archaeology Dissertation (double module)

Option modules

Choose two option modules from:

• Greek and Roman Art: Ancient and modern contexts
• Oracles. Dreams and Omens: Divination in the Greek World
• An Empire Reborn: Justinian and his Age
• Early Christian Europe
• Archaeozoology
• Archaeology of Islamic Societies
• Human Skeletal Analysis
• Conflict, Heritage and Archaeology
• Ceramic Analysis
• Classical Worlds: Translation and Reception

Plus a further two option modules from:

• Great Greek Monuments
• Sparta and the Greek World
• North Africa in Late Antiquity
• Babylonian Sources
• Decolonising Classical Studies
• Archaeology and Ancient History in Education
• The Archaeology of Colonialism in the Americas
• Power and Difference in the Past
• Bodies and Beings of Viking Worlds
• Human Evolution

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.