Classical Archaeology

Study a degree which includes general archaeological training combined with options in Greek and Roman art and archaeology; elements of history, literature and thought. Partially taught in Museum of London's Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, the programme will allow you extensive use of British Museum collections.

• 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 the Museum of London, 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.
• 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 combines a core of general archaeological training with a broad range of options in specifically Greek and Roman art and archaeology; and the opportunity also to include elements of Greek and Roman history, literature and thought. The core programme (partially taught in the Museum of London's Archaeological Archive and Research Centre) introduces students to the full scope of the contemporary discipline of archaeology, from fieldwork to museology. 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: we teach both from beginners' level up and require all of our students to pass at least one language module.

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. 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. 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.

This degree provides a rare opportunity to obtain a thorough training in archaeological skills in a Classics environment, and includes first year and second year core modules dedicated to archaeological method. 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. In addition, King's students are able to choose suitable courses offered by the Institute of Archaeology at UCL and you will be fully encouraged to make the most of our up and coming trips and external summer opportunities. To see photos from previous Archaeology fieldtrips, become a fan of our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Department-of-Classics-at-Kings-College-London/187047304670735

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/events/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 modules:

• Introduction to Classical Archaeology
• Greek or Latin language

Choice of optional modules including

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

Full module 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 would 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
• Building Rome
• Hellenistic Art
• Museums of London
• Bread and Circuses: Roman Entertainment and Spectacle

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 classical archaeological subject and take three or four optional modules, which would include options such as:

• Dissertation on a classical archaeological subject
• Greek Sculpture 750-300 BC
• 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