The languages of the past can tell us more about human history than we might have thought. As a specialist in the ancient languages of Italy, Katherine McDonald uses linguistic detective work to uncover what life was like over 2,000 years ago.

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has been awarded a highly regarded Athena Swan Silver Award, becoming only the second faculty of its kind in the UK to receive this distinction. This milestone acknowledges the significant progress made in advancing gender equality across all departments and highlights a firm commitment to continued improvement through to 2030.

We are ranked 9th in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Our ‘Spotlight on’ series showcases the world-leading work of our academics. Professor Edith Hall is passionate about the lessons we can learn from ancient civilisations and is leading a campaign to put Classics education back on the UK curriculum.

Dr Katherine McDonald wins prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize for 2024 with her project 'The Linguistics of Roman Slavery'. Photo credit Dr Christopher Haddad

The Department of Classics & Ancient History at Durham invites applications from UK and international applicants for PhD studentships through the AHRC-funded Northern Bridge Doctoral Training Partnership.

Our region’s long and rich classical history is inspiring the next generation of classics students. North East England’s ancient structures and settlements including Hadrian’s Wall have inspired many through the ages.  

We are pleased to announce the upcoming schedule (see below) for the Lucan’s Landscapes and Lies conference at Durham University, 24th-26th July 2024. The conference is generously supported by the Durham University Researcher Development Grant.

Durham University's Transformative Humanities launched yesterday and gathered more than 130 researchers, colleagues, students, and partners from across the region and beyond to celebrate this new interdisciplinary framework.

A landmark conference about Syriac Studies brought more than 70 researchers from 20 countries to Durham last month. The event was a hub for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing. It was also a formative experience for early-career scholars. Here, the organisers reflect on the key highlights of the conference and why there has recently been a major revival of academic interest in Syriac Studies.

We’re celebrating the news that two of our leading academics have been elected members of Academia Europaea in recognition of their subject-leading achievements.

Dr Magdalena Zira, IAS Fellow at Collingwood College, directs Euripides’ Phoenician Women in theatres ancient and modern throughout Cyprus this July. Durham Classics Professors Edith Hall and Arlene Holmes-Henderson, co-directors of the Advocating Classics Education project, have provided advice on public engagement and educational enrichment opportunities.