Classical Archaeology

Study a degree based in London which explores the archaeology, art, history, literature and thought of the ancient world. Learn archaeological and art historical study skills. Students are able to choose Greek or Roman art or archaeology, or a mixture, in addition to modules that cover the Bronze Age or eastern archaeology.

• One of the very best classics departments in the country, renowned for its quality of teaching, student experience and cutting-edge research.
• Central location offers collaborations with the British Museum and other cultural institutions, which are incorporated into undergraduate teaching.
• The department stages an annual Greek play in the original language, providing students with an opportunity to experience the Greek dramatic tradition.
• Degree programmes combine focus and flexibility, allowing students to pursue their interests. Some archaeological modules are taught jointly with ancient historians for a wide coverage of study skills.
• Graduates are equipped with analytical and presentational skills valued by employers, leading to careers in heritage-related professions, the media, education, civil service and the performing arts.

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This programme offers a broad range of options in Greek and Roman art and archaeology; as well as the opportunity to include elements of Greek and Roman history, literature and thought. Modules focus on specific chronological and/or geographical areas, or present general themes anchored in the ancient world. Extensive use is also made of the collections of the British Museum. Prior acquaintance with Greek or Latin is welcomed, but not assumed. We encourage the learning of Greek and Latin as fundamental to the study of the ancient world, teaching both from beginners' level up, but this is not compulsory.

Why study Classical Archaeology at King's?

The main reason is the variety of specialisms covered by the staff, from the more traditional foundations of Greek pottery and sculpture to the younger disciplines of Roman landscapes and mosaics. There is also a module (‘Grand Tour’) that contains several tours to local institutions in order to explore how classical material and visual culture has been collected and displayed in London. The chronological range covers the Bronze Age to the Byzantine periods, while the geographical journey will take you from the entire Mediterranean and Near Eastern regions through to Roman Britain. The fundamentals of archaeological and art historical skills and methods are introduced through these rich and vibrant cultures.

Staff are dedicated to exploiting the world-class opportunities that our position in the centre of London allows access to, including the British Museum, the Museum of London and Sir John Soane's Museum. For example, you will be able to take modules that offer the opportunity to handle Greek vases in the teaching room of the British Museum. If you are interested in maximizing the opportunities that our proximity to London's great cultural institutions allows, then this is the programme for you.

Greek Play
Every year (since 1953), students in the Department of Classics have produced and performed a Greek play - the only production in the UK to be performed annually in the original Greek. Read more about the Greek Play (and its history) at King's: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/classics/about/greek/index.aspx

Study abroad
It is easier now than ever before to spend part of your time as a King's student studying abroad. The destinations currently favoured by Classics students are both in the US:

• The University of California
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Find out more about studying abroad: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/studyabroad

King's reviews its optional modules on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer innovative and exciting programmes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that any particular optional course will run in a given year and the options listed below are subject to change.

Compulsory module:

• Art & Archaeology of Greece & Rome

Choice of optional modules including:

• Greek or Latin language
• Greek & Latin Literature: An Introduction
• Introduction to Ancient History (c. 1200 BC-AD 600)
• Working with Greek & Latin Literary Texts: An Introduction
• Introduction to Ancient Philosophy

A complete list of modules and descriptions can be found on our website:
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/classics/modules/index.aspx

Second year students choose four to six modules from a range of optional modules, which may include options such as:

• Art and Power in the Age of Alexander
• The Art of Acquisition: Conquest, collection and the rise of Rome
• Grand Tour: Antiquities in London from the Enlightenment to the Present Day
• Romans and barbarians: cities in the Roman Mediterranean
• Roman Art
• Bread and Circuses: Roman Entertainment and Spectacle
• Icons and Idols: The Image of Christ and the Classical Origins of Early Christian Art

Full module descriptions can be found on our website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/classics/modules/index.aspx

All final year students may choose to research and write a dissertation on a classical archaeological subject and take three or four optional modules, which would include options such as:

• Dissertation on a classical archaeological subject
• The Classical Art of the Body
• Greek Pottery & Painting, 800-300 BC
• Archaeology of the Western Roman Provinces
• Island Living in the Eastern Mediterranean: Bronze Age Crete & Cyprus
• Frontiers of the Roman Empire
• Medieval Cyprus: Art & Architecture
• The Hellenistic Near East

Full module descriptions can be found on our website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/classics/modules/index.aspx