Combining the study of ancient history with the theory and practice of archaeology, this interdisciplinary programme offers the opportunity to explore the ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean with a particular emphasis on Greece and Rome. There is the opportunity to gain the historiographic and archaeological skills required to understand past societies, including the analysis of literary sources, understanding of ancient buildings and forensic evidence, as well as learning ancient and modern languages. The rich body of literary and documentary texts that survive from ancient Greece and Rome provide fascinating insights into the culture and society of these ancient civilisations. Analysis of these compelling documentary sources forms a key component of this programme. However, historical accounts are often fragmentary, and are sometimes biased towards major events or prominent individuals. Archaeology, the study of the material remains of past peoples, offers an additional source of evidence for reconstructing and understanding the day-to-day lives of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Archaeology investigates the human past using material remains such as artefacts and excavated sites to reconstruct the economic, social and cultural life of early societies. At Edinburgh we have a rich tradition of archaeological teaching and research, specialising in European prehistory, the early civilisations of the Mediterranean and the Near East and Egypt. You will be introduced to standard and innovative archaeological techniques and the practice and theory of archaeology. This will include the study of science-based archaeology, the study of animal and human bones and digital applications. We emphasise the importance of training in practical archaeological skills. You can gain hands-on experience of artefact identification and analysis in practical sessions using artefacts from our own Vere Gordon Childe collection. Our students will also normally complete three weeks of archaeological fieldwork at the end of Year 1 and have the option to undertake further fieldwork, as well as projects in heritage management and public engagement, and the lab-based analysis of archaeological remains, in later years of study.