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Explore the histories and cultures of the ancient world with our Ancient Civilisations programme. Unlock the fascinating stories of a variety of cultures, from Ancient Egypt and the Near East to the Graeco-Roman world and Ancient China. Enjoy comparing and contrasting diverse cultures from across the globe.
Our Ancient Civilisations programme will introduce you to the diversity and richly textured nature of ancient societies. It will allow you to encounter the various approaches and methodologies that different disciplines use to engage with peoples and cultures of the ancient past (including history and archaeology).
You will develop a deeper knowledge of the past through comparative and interdisciplinary study. The course will provide a rounded insight into the key debates relating to the historical, cultural, military, and philosophical foundations of a variety of ancient civilisations.
Ancient Civilisations (BA)
UCAS Code: V901
Apply via UCAS
Ancient Civilisations with Foundation Year (BA)
UCAS Code: ACF1
Apply via UCAS
- Full-time applicants should apply through UCAS.
- Part-time applicants should apply through the University.
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Tuition Fees 2023/24:
Home (Full-time): £9,000 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £13,500 per year
Why choose this course?
- We offer small class sizes allowing for excellent interaction and discussion, as well as unsurpassed support from the tutors – the kind which simply cannot be achieved in big lecture halls full of students.
- We are one of the few universities across the UK to offer students the opportunity to focus on culture and civilizations rather than just history and archaeology.
- Having such a wide range of related subjects under one roof allows us to draw upon the experience of our various lecturers in areas such as Archaeology, Ancient History and Mythology, Religious and Islamic Studies, Philosophy and Chinese Studies to provide a unique and diverse program that will provide something of interest to everyone.
- Students have the opportunity to go on field trip modules where we explore wonders of the ancient world in person.
- We are based on an amazing campus, rich in history and set in a great location with enthusiastic, dedicated lecturers, all of which sets out to make your time at university a unique and special experience and start you out on an exciting career.
What you will learn
Students enrolled in this course will gain the opportunity to delve into the past and study in depth the cultures and traditions of ancient civilisations. You will compare and contrast how these people lived by closely examining the different areas of everyday life such as the different cultures, philosophies, military and historical backgrounds and beliefs held by various ancient cultures.
By engaging in various different areas of study (archaeology, ancient history and culture to name a few) – a feature unique to our course – our students will gain an otherwise unobtainable view of the lifestyles and thoughts of these ancient civilisations. You will gain the knowledge to understand how superstition, magic, rituals and the afterlife all played a major role in how these people thought and behaved and how they shaped their world, and ours.
Which civilizations can you study:
- Ancient China
- Ancient Egypt
- Celtic Europe
- The wider Graeco-Roman world
- Early Christian, Jewish and Arabic cultures
Year One – Level 4 (CertHE, DipHE & BA)
- Contemporary Challenges: Making a Difference (20 credits; optional; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
- Cultures and Philosophies of Politics (20 credits; optional)
- Death, Burial and the Afterlife (20 credits; optional)
- Exploring the Humanities (20 credits; compulsory)
- From Egypt to the Near East: Phenomena of the Mediterranean (20 credits; optional)
- Gender, Sex, and Sexuality: Historical and Critical Perspectives (20 credits; optional)
- Humans and Other Animals (20 credits; optional)
- Learning in the Digital Era (20 credits; compulsory; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
- Morality, Ethics and Reason (20 credits; optional)
- Myths and Mythology: How Stories Shape the World (20 credits; optional)
- Power and Inequality (20 credits; optional)
- The Colonial Project and the Humanities (20 credits; optional)
- The Nature of Objects: Why Matter Matters (20 credits; optional).
Year Two – Level 5 (DipHE & BA)
- Ancestors, Death and Burial (20 credits; optional)
- Ancient Lives in Death (20 credits; optional)
- Armies and Navies: Studies in Ancient Warfare (20 credits; optional)
- Celtic Sanctity and Spirituality: Hagiography and Saints’ Cults (20 credits; optional)
- Changemakers: Building your Personal Brand for Sustainable Employment (20 credits; compulsory; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
- Changemakers: Creativity and Value Creation (20 credits; optional; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
- Chinese 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Classical Mythology In Roman and Medieval Times (20 credits; optional)
- Crime and Punishment in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Difficult Heritage/ Dark Tourism (20 credits; optional)
- Entanglements: Exploring Interactions between the Aegean and the Near East (20 credits; optional)
- Family and Gender in Chinese Culture (20 credits; optional)
- From Attic to Audience: Engaging with the Public through Residencies, Festivals, Performances and Publication (20 credits; optional)
- From the Twilight of Rome to the Dawn of Islam: The World of Late Antiquity (AD 235-632) (20 credits; optional)
- Funerary Beliefs in Ancient Egypt (20 credits; optional)
- Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Gendered Lives in Ancient Egypt (20 credits; optional)
- Greek 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Heritage & Archaeology of Conflict (20 credits; optional)
- Hieroglyphs 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Hieroglyphs 2 (20 credits; optional)
- Households in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Human Evolution: Origins of Modern Human Behaviour (20 credits; optional)
- International Independent Study Module (40 credits; optional)
- International Independent Study Module (60 credits; optional)
- Judaism: From 70 CE to the Present Day (20 credits; optional)
- Latin 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Medicine and Miracles: Health, Illness, and Cure (20 credits; optional)
- Murder, Mayhem and Megalomania: The Life and Times of the Emperor Nero (20 credits; optional)
- Museums, Heritage & Representation (20 credits; optional)
- Persephone in Myth (20 credits; optional)
- (Re)presenting and (Re)constructing the Past (20 credits; optional)
- The Life and Times of Caesar and Cicero (20 credits; optional)
- Thinking with Things (20 credits; optional)
- Using the Past to Serve the Present: Historiography and Heritage in the Chinese World (20 credits; optional).
Year Three – Level 6 (BA)
- Ancestors, Death and Burial (20 credits; optional)
- Ancient Lives in Death (20 credits; optional)
- Armies and Navies: Studies in Ancient Warfare (20 credits; optional)
- Celtic Sanctity and Spirituality: Hagiography and Saints’ Cults (20 credits; optional)
- Chinese 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Classical Mythology In Roman and Medieval Times (20 credits; optional)
- Crime and Punishment in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Difficult Heritage/ Dark Tourism (20 credits; optional)
- Entanglements: Exploring Interactions between the Aegean and the Near East (20 credits; optional)
- Family and Gender in Chinese Culture (20 credits; optional)
- From Attic to Audience: Engaging with the Public through Residencies, Festivals, Performances and Publication (20 credits; optional)
- From the Twilight of Rome to the Dawn of Islam: The World of Late Antiquity (AD 235-632) (20 credits; optional)
- Funerary Beliefs in Ancient Egypt (20 credits; optional)
- Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Gendered Lives in Ancient Egypt (20 credits; optional)
- Greek 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Heritage and Archaeology of Conflict (20 credits; optional)
- Hieroglyphs 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Hieroglyphs 2 (20 credits; optional)
- Households in the Ancient World (20 credits; optional)
- Human Evolution: Origins of Modern Human Behaviour (20 credits; optional)
- Independent Project (40 credits; compulsory; Graduate Attributes Framework module)
- International Independent Study Module (40 credits; optional)
- International Independent Study Module (60 credits; optional)
- Judaism: From 70 CE to the Present Day (20 credits; optional)
- Latin 1 (20 credits; optional)
- Medicine and Miracles: Health, Illness, and Cure (20 credits; optional)
- Murder, Mayhem and Megalomania: The Life and Times of the Emperor Nero (20 credits; optional)
- Museums, Heritage & Representation (20 credits; optional)
- Persephone in Myth (20 credits; optional)
- (Re)presenting and (Re)constructing the Past (20 credits; optional)
- The Life and Times of Caesar and Cicero (20 credits; optional)
- Thinking with Things (20 credits; optional)
- Using the Past to Serve the Present: Historiography and Heritage in the Chinese World (20 credits; optional).
Level 3 (Foundation Year)
- Academic Survival Skills (20 credits; compulsory, On-campus)
- Introduction to University Life (10 credits; compulsory, On-campus)
- Independent Investigation (10 credits; compulsory, On-campus)
- Introduction to the Humanities (10 credits; compulsory, On-campus)
- Academic Writing (10 credits; compulsory, On-campus)
- Understanding Literature (20 credits; optional, On-campus)
- Talking to the Dead (20 credits; optional, On-campus)
- Being Human (20 credits; optional, On-campus)
- Understanding Democracy (20 credits; optional, On-campus)
Prospective students should be aware of the following:
- Not all optional modules are offered every year
- Optional modules are delivered subject to sufficient student numbers
- Language modules are optional/compulsory/core according to linguistic ability
- There are many Level 5 and Level 6 versions of the same module. Students can only take this module once; this depends on which year the modules are offered in.
A degree in Ancient Civilisation involves a wide range of assessment methods. In addition to traditional gobbet work, essays and in class tests, you will be assessed through bibliographic exercises, presentations – oral and PowerPoint based, at both individual and group level – creation of abstracts, reflective reports, in-house conference papers, article reviews, take-home exams, group wikis, creation of project plans and, of course, the dissertation. This variety of assessment helps develop skills in presenting material in a clear, professional and lucid manner, whether orally or in writing.
This breadth of assessment type creates variety in the student experience, allowing you to explore the subject in different ways, and to obtain an array of valuable skills that will make you attractive to future employers.
This Framework aims to develop your professional skills and competence alongside your academic subject knowledge. You’ll study up to 40 credits per level throughout your programme from the Graduate Attributes Framework.
The Graduate Attribute modules are designed to enable you to develop, and evidence, a range of career-focused skills related to your subject area. These skills include digital competency, research and project management, as well as such personal competencies as communication, creativity, self-reflection, resilience and problem-solving.
- Find out more about the Graduate Attributes Framework
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Key Information
Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.
To assess student suitability for their chosen course we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your qualifications.
You will develop powers of analysis, logical thought and argument within a supportive and encouraging environment. It will be these skills of communication, understanding, analysis and self-management that provide you with a passport into employment. Types of employment could include museum and archive work, journalism, law, banking, local politics, all types of administrative work, marketing and advertising, and teaching.
- Business and commerce
- Civil service
- General administrative and management posts
- Heritage (library, archives, museum, tourism)
- Journalism
- Local government
- Postgraduate research
- Teaching
The Faculty has estimated on the assumption that students buy new copies of the books. Students may also choose to spend money on printing drafts of work.
- Students may spend up to £300 per year on books and additional related materials.
- Students are expected to submit two hard copies of their final project; the estimated cost for binding these is £20.
Optional Field trip:
The faculty works to ensure that there are a range of fieldwork and field trip options available both locally and internationally. Thus students can opt to take either more expensive or less expensive placements. The Faculty subsidises these but the cost each year is dependent on airfare, location, and currency exchange rates. Below are the upper end of expected costs based on where students have currently done placements.
- Fieldwork (depending on where the student decides to do fieldwork): c. £500 - £1,500
- Individual trips: c. £5 - £50
Ancient History
UCAS Code: V110
History
UCAS Code: V100
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.
Visit our Lampeter Accommodation section to find out more.
Our students do not explore all forms of human social and cultural behaviour by simply sitting and listening to how other anthropologists understand the world; they experience what is to live like them themselves.
We focus particularly on applying and engaging with theory to address social issues. We recognise that practical, first-hand engagement with ‘other’ cultures is the best way to understand the anthropological endeavour. If you choose to study with us you will be given plenty of opportunity to be an anthropologist – by applying the knowledge you learn in the classroom in the ‘real’ world.
If you would like to find out more, you can visit us on an Open Day.
