Studying Ancient History What Does it Entail

Studying Ancient History What Does it Entail A Superprof Guide to the Ancient World ChaptersHistory vs. Archaeology vs. PhilologyWhat Do You Study in Ancient History?Choosing Classical Studies at UniMedieval StudiesWhere To Study Ancient History in the UKSo you want to study Ancient History because it sounds intriguing, but you’re not certain exactly what it entails? Eager to explore ancient civilisations, but not sure which one? Our Superprof guide to Ancient History can help!medieval studies under more recent history, others still consider it Ancient History.Generally, you will be studying the cultures of the ancient world.Egyptology, the study of Ancient EgyptThe study of Ancient Egyptian history is called Egyptology. An Egyptologist can be either an archaeologist or a historian; while they do specialise they are all called by the same name.Find History tutor on SuperprofFind out more about this Pharaoh by studying Egyptology. Photo credit: kairoinfo4u on Visual huntWhen studying Egyptology, you will learn about Egyptian history - the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdo m, New Kingdom - until its conquest by Alexander the Great and then Rome and Cleopatra. Egypt in Late Antiquity falls under Coptic or Byzantium Studies. You will also learn about Egyptian architecture, studying not just the Great Pyramid of Giza (the only surviving one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) attributed to Khufu but the various temples and traces of mudbrick houses in the city of Amarna, where the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th dynasty founded the first documented monotheistic religion.You will be expected to learn hieroglyphs - the language and script of the Ancient Egyptians, first deciphered thanks to the Rosetta stone - so if you’re not good at languages you might want to consider another track.The Near East and MesopotamiaNear Eastern Studies, as they are often called, can be slightly misleading, as they often include the Bronze Age and Iron Age civilisations not just of the Ancient Near East, but also of the Middle East, Anatolia and Mesopotamia (th e area between the two rivers Tigris and Euphrates).But while these cultures do have a lot in common, don’t be fooled - just because you can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform doesn’t mean you will be able to read one in Assyrian or Akkadian cuneiform!The cuneiform writings are very similar, but the languages behind them aren’t. Still, wouldn’t it be exciting to read Hammurabi’s laws in the original?The Ishtar Gate of Babylon is only one of the amazing monuments you can learn about in Near Eastern Studies. Photo credit: Wiebke on Visualhunt.comThe various kingdoms and city-states also have different religions and mythology, different social and political structures.Here are some of the cultures you might learn about if you take Near Eastern Studies (or whatever the Uni is calling it):Babylonia (including Nabuchadnezzar of Verdi opera fame)The SumeriansThe Hittites and the Hittite EmpireAssyria and the Assyrian EmpirePersia and the Persian EmpireThe PhoeniciansBibl ical StudiesBiblical Studies is a special branch of the history of the Eastern Mediterranean world. It focuses mostly on the area around Palestine and Israel, starting from around the 9th century BC and up to the first centuries AD. To read Biblical Studies, you should learn Hebrew and Aramaic, the most commonly spoken languages in the area. MarkHistory Teacher 5.00 (3) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JohnHistory Teacher 5.00 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarjotteHistory Teacher 5.00 (4) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ErinHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ChantelleHistory Teacher 5.00 (2) £17/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AndriyHistory Teacher £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PeterHistory Teacher £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors SerenaHistory Teacher £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsChoosing Classical Studies at UniGenerally, Unis group under Classical S tudies the great Mediterranean civilisations of Greece and Rome.Studying Ancient GreeceAncient Greek civilisation starts long before Sparta’s stand against the Persian army or the glory days of Athens. If you decide to study Greek history, chances are you will start with the Minoan and Mycenaen civilisations of the island of Crete before moving on to the Aegean islands and the Greek mainland.In following in Thucydides’ footsteps, you will also, of course, cover the city-states of Ancient Greece, Athenian philosophy and the mythology behind the Greek gods, as well as the different styles of painted pottery, how to date kuroi statues and double-bladed axes. You will learn the political history of the Greek peninsula well into the Macedonian Empire, where first Phillip of Macedonia and then Alexander the Great expanded the Hellenistic world all the way to the Indus river in Asia.Classical Studies will also take you to the palace of Knossos on Crete. Photo credit: Rol247* on Visualh untHowever, though you should learn Ancient Greek to understand their culture and analyse textual sources if your life’s ambition is to provide the ultimate translation of Homers Illiad or Odyssey, Classical Greek philology is the subject for you! Linguistic studies are usually a separate branch of history.Ancient Roman StudiesWhen studying Roman history, you are likely to start before the Roman Republic or even the Roman Empire, with the Etruscan culture of Italy.Roman culture will include their religion and cultural practices, Roman literature and of course the great philosophers, artists, politicians and generals of the Roman army, from Cicero to Caesar, from Apicius to Hadrianus.Want to know what this statue is about? Find out more on the two boys fighting over a game of knucklebones by taking Classical Studies. Photo credit: mharrsch on Visualhunt.comStudy of the Roman Empire will take you to its schism and possibly beyond - some unis include Late Antiquity and the Byzantine Empire under Classical Studies.Medieval StudiesFrom Late Antiquity to the Dark Ages and on to the Middle Ages - most archaeologically-inclined studies include the Middle Ages in their curriculum, whereas you generally won’t be learning about William the Conqueror or knights in shining armour when reading Ancient History. You might discover medieval Britain in a course on European or British History (which will cover the Celts and Anglo-Saxons), though, while your Latin studies will certainly come in handy if you choose to study medieval literature.Learn about knights and castles - and when to wear a wimple - with Medieval Studies. Photo credit: Aloriel on VisualHunt.comWhere To Study Ancient History in the UKSo where can you study Ancient History if you live in the UK? Here are some universities that offer undergraduate courses (and what they call them):University of Kent - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Southampton - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Winchester - Ancient, Classical and Medieval StudiesUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Leicester - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Reading - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Roehampton - Ancient HistorySwansea University - Ancient HistoryBirkbeck London - Ancient History and ArchaeologyKing’s College London - Ancient HistoryRoyal Holloway London - Ancient HistoryUniversity College London - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Glasgow - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Edinburgh - Ancient Mediterranean CivilisationsNewcastle University - Ancient HistoryDurham University - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Leeds - - Ancient History and HistoryUniversity of Oxford - Ancient and Modern HistoryUniversity of Lincoln - Classical StudiesUniversity of Nottingham - Ancient HistoryManchester Metropolitan University - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Cambridge - Anglo-Saxon, Norse and CelticUniversity of Liverpool - Ancient HistoryCardiff University - Ancient HistoryUniversity of St Andrews - Ancient HistoryUniversity o f Warwick - Ancient History and Classical ArchaeologyUniversity of Birmingham - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Exeter - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Bristol - Ancient HistoryUniversity of Manchester - Ancient History