Classics and Ancient History Research
We are committed to fostering and further sustaining a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive intellectual environment.
Dynamic field of study
At Newcastle we examine the human experience, in all its brilliance and complexity, from the Late Bronze Age until the seventh century CE. Our main geographical focus is the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean, but we also study the impact of Greek and Roman culture in Egypt, Central Asia, and the far North of Britain.
Graeco-Roman focus
Our geographical focus is primarily the Graeco-Roman Mediterranean. But the impact of Greek and Roman culture is also traced in Egypt, Central Asia, and the far North of Britain.
32% of the research submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2021 was classed as world-leading.
Exploring the Past in the Present
Our research centres on the history, cultures, and languages of ancient Greece and Rome. We approach these via their literary, material or visual remains, or combinations of all three. We draw upon a wide range of evidence to investigate lived experience in the ancient past. Our research also traces the legacy of past lives, literatures, and societies in later history.
Research-led teaching
We are a diverse and international community of researchers and teachers. We believe in a strong integration between our research and out teaching, and we offer some of the most wide-ranging Classics and Ancient History in the country as part of both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Diverse expertise
Our research interests and expertise encompass the Greek and Roman world in its entirety, from:
- early Greek poetry to late Roman law and philosophy
- Latin epic to Mediterranean mobility and identity
- classical rhetoric to slavery and the history of medicine
- Greek vase painting to Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic dynasts
- politics and culture at the time of Cicero and Julius Caesar to ancient music
- Roman Egypt to the reception of Greek literature in the early modern period
The Great North Museum: Hancock plays an important role in supporting our activities. It is home to the Shefton Collection of Greek and Etruscan Art and Archaeology, and also houses a large body of findings from Hadrian’s Wall, an impressive coin collection, and material from late Period Egypt.
Sharing our school with colleagues in history and archaeology creates invaluable opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. This results in a lively research culture. Our research themes of Performance and the Writing of History form two distinctive axes of collaboration hosted by our subject.
We run a weekly seminar series with speakers invited from the UK and internationally. We are very keen on international collaborations. We regularly organise and host research events. Here are some past classics and ancient history research events (PDF: 106KB).
We received a very strong research rating in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. We received an overall average of 3.02. 32% of the research submitted (encompassing publications, impact and environment) reflect world leading research.
We have a vibrant, international community of postgraduate research students. Many have gained prestigious research funding. We regularly host visiting research students from overseas.
We've been successful in attracting external funding for research from organisations such as:
- The British Academy
- The Leverhulme Trust
- The Wellcome Trust
- The Arts and Humanities Research Council
- The Loeb Classical Library Foundation
Research in history and archaeology
Find out about the School's research in history and archaeology.