BA
Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations BA (Hons)
Explore the archaeology, art and culture of ancient civilisations from the ancient Mediterranean to Asia, how the archaeological record was formed and can be interpreted today.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
VQ48
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
AAB
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £ per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £ per year
Overview
Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in an ancient civilisation? Are you fascinated by what the civilisations of the past can teach us about the present? This course gives you a good overview of the world of archaeology, but also allows you to focus in particular on the great ancient civilisations of Europe, the Near East and Asia, including Ancient Greece and Rome, Egypt, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. This degree offers great flexibility, with options to take modules from other departments, including Classics and Ancient History. Depending on your module choices you may even be able to receive professional accreditation from the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. The course offers an optional study abroad element, where you may spend the third year of a four-year course studying at an overseas university. You can also put your learning into practice by applying to add a placement year to your degree.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BA
UCAS Code
VQ48
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
AAB
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £ per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £ per year
What you'll study
This course offers you the chance to study the ancient world with a focus on the benefit of material culture evidence from artefacts and monuments, through landscapes to faunal and floral remains. You will be able to develop interests in the Mediterranean cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, and expand your knowledge of the ancient Asia and North Africa including Egypt, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. This course provides an exciting mix of scholarship and practical skills that will prepare you for employment or for further study. Many of our modules form a Chartered Institute for Archaeology accredited pathway. Ask us if you'd like to know more.
Core modules
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Ancient Civilisations: Sources, Approaches and Methods
gives you a grounding in a range of types of evidence relevant to the study of ancient civilisations, including art and iconography, architecture and textual sources, and a critical awareness of the potential and limitations of each.
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Archaeology Practicals
introduces you to the practical side of archaeology, including assessing primary archaeological materials, sites and monuments through hands-on recording, analysis and scientific techniques.
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Cities in Antiquity
introduces you to the formation of major cities in the ancient Mediterranean world, including their architectural forms, locations, cultures and economies, from the Iron Age to Early Christianity, circa 800 BC to AD 400.
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Introduction to Archaeological Methods
provides an opening introduction to archaeological analysis, from stratigraphic excavation and artefact analysis to geographic information systems and scientific analysis.
Optional modules
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Fieldwork
You will undertake six weeks of compulsory fieldwork – three weeks at our field school at the end of Year 1, and three weeks at an excavation of your choice before Year 3.
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In recent years optional modules have included: Archaeology in BritainDiscovering World PrehistoryAncient Civilisations of the EastMedieval to Modern: An Introduction to the Archaeology of the Medieval to Post-Medieval WorldUp to two modules as available in Classics and Ancient HistoryUp to one module as available in another department, including a modern language.
Core modules
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Ancient Mediterranean Civilisations: East and West
allows you to develop knowledge and understanding of the archaeology of places in the ancient Mediterranean from 750 BC to AD 700 with a focus on forms of monumentality, urbanism, uses of land and economy.
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Developing Archaeological Research
develops your understanding of how to carry out research on different scales of materials, from sites to artefacts, how to present visual information and assess quantitative information, and develop an effective research plan.
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Professional Training
(incorporating fieldwork placement at the end of Year 1) uses practical experience to give you an understanding of the objectives and operation of a fieldwork project and how data and material produced by archaeological projects is processed.
Optional modules
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In recent years optional modules have included: Becoming Roman: from Iron Age to Empire in Italy and the WestThe East Mediterranean in the Bronze AgeAdvanced Skills in Archaeology (multiple sub-options)Prehistoric Europe: From Foragers to State FormationArchaeology of Medieval and Post-medieval Britain in its European ContextScientific Methods in Archaeology 2Up to one module as available in Classics and Ancient HistoryUp to one module as available in another department, including a modern language.
Core modules
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Archaeology Dissertation
offers the chance to do independent research on a topic of special interest to you, and learn analysis, presentation of evidence and how to structure a persuasive argument.
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Specialised Aspects in Archaeology
will help you develop an understanding of specialised aspects of archaeology, chosen from a list of topics representing the main areas of research in the Department.
Optional modules
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In recent years optional modules have included: Advanced Professional Training (incorporating three weeks of fieldwork before starting Year 3)Current ArchaeologyInterpreting HeritageMuseum RepresentationArchaeology and Global Sustainable DevelopmentScientific Methods in Archaeology 3Up to two modules available in Classics and Ancient HistoryUp to one module available in another department, including a modern language.
Learning
You will learn through a combination of lectures and small-group seminars, tutorials and practical classes, as well as fieldtrips and fieldwork, alongside self-directed research and reading. We also offer an extensive programme of research-focused seminars where staff and visiting scholars present their cutting-edge research. Fieldwork allows you to get stuck into real archaeological work, which alongside practical classes gives you great hands-on archaeological experience. As you progress in the degree there is increasing focus on independent research. As such, the course transforms you from a consumer of knowledge in a classroom to a generator of knowledge in the field, ready for professional or postgraduate life.Assessment
On this course you will be assessed through traditional coursework essays and exams, but also through presentations and hands-on practical exercises, including archaeological fieldwork, as well as other alternative assessment forms. In the final year you will write a dissertation on a special interest topic of your choice, supported by one-on-one supervision, and this will form one third of your final year assessment.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
£ per year
International / EU Students
£ per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - £ per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - £ per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreDepartment Information
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Archaeology at Durham is an exciting and diverse discipline that delves into the past and informs our understanding of the present. It brings together multiple techniques and methods, and covers a wide range of themes and periods, from the earliest human development through classical civilisations to colonialism, the built environment and heritage in the modern world. We are an inclusive international scholarly community offering opportunities for you to get involved, from seminars and reading groups to field projects. Our research-led approach to learning means you will be taught by world specialists and explore archaeological sites and historic buildings, cutting-edge scientific methods, theories, debates and computing techniques. Fieldwork takes you around the world, with previous projects ranging from Iceland to Africa. Closer to home you will learn about the rich and varied past of the UK. Our location provides a great environment for studying archaeology and heritage, with UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Durham Cathedral and Hadrian's Wall on our doorstep. We offer single and joint honour BA and BSc degrees to suit your interests and career goals. Most courses include the possibility of a work placement or year abroad. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
We are based in the Dawson Building, the historic original science building on the Science Site, at University's main Mountjoy Campus. We are close to other departments, colleges, the Bill Bryson library and the Teaching and Learning Centre. Our building houses teaching rooms, and a suite of state-of-the-art laboratories for precision techniques including ancient DNA and isotope analysis, Geographic Information Systems and digital visualisation, as well as a common room for social activities of staff and students. Our teaching allows students hands on experience in labs, and our library holdings and digital resources are world-class.
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Commercial archaeological fieldwork
The Department is also home to a leading commercial archaeological fieldwork unit, enabling expert training in excavation and fieldwork techniques from working archaeologists.
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Fieldwork
Single honours students gain experience through summer placements on module-linked projects around the world, from County Durham to France, Spain, Egypt and Nepal.
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Extensive resources
We are one of the most comprehensively equipped archaeology departments in the UK in terms of staffing, laboratories, equipment and library resources.
Find out more -
Career Opportunities
Of those UK/EU students who graduated in 2022/23:
91%
91%
£25,083
HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. This survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. We here highlight destinations of specifically first-degree graduates. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk
Employability
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