Overview
What is Ancient and Medieval History and Culture?
Ancient and Medieval History and Culture concentrates on the period c. 2000 BC to c. 1500 AD. It explores the changes in society, politics, religious practices, and art and architecture that have helped to shape the world we live in. Over the four years of the programme you will explore topics including the development of different systems of government (from democracy in ancient Greece to monarchy and empire in the Middle Ages), the formation of Europe, ancient and medieval belief systems and religious practices (from the pantheon of ancient deities to the dominance of Christianity), the development of the legal system, and the role of warfare in bringing about change. You will have the opportunity to explore developments in educational practices including the emergence of the university, changing attitudes to gender, sexuality and the place of women in society, and the different styles of European art and architecture used in the period.
Do you enjoy:
- Looking at a wide range of source material, including texts, archaeological sites, art and architecture?
- Learning about antiquity and the Middle Ages?
- Exploring how the past is relevant today?
Ancient and Medieval History and Culture: The course for you?
If you are curious about the past and how history has shaped the world we live in, then Ancient and Medieval History and Culture will appeal to you. Through the investigation of texts, artefacts and buildings this programme provides an intellectually stimulating encounter with the past, and challenges you to think about a range of cultural, social and political issues. Ancient and Medieval History and Culture is a unique programme that brings together the disciplines of Classics, History and Art History to train you to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Ancient and Medieval History and Culture at Trinity
The programme in Ancient and Medieval History and Culture is unique in offering a focused study of antiquity and the Middle Ages. As part of the School of Histories and Humanities, you will be able to work with experts in the disciplines of Classics, History and Art History, joining a vibrant community of staff and students in this interdisciplinary programme. As you progress through the course you will be able to choose to focus on particular time periods or themes, culminating in the opportunity to undertake a Capstone research project. You will have access to rich collections of source material, including the university collections, visits to museums and galleries in Dublin, and opportunities to venture further afield through field trips to other European destinations and through archaeological excavation opportunities.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Our graduates go on to a wide range of careers including archaeology, journalism, museums and conservation, marketing, and teaching. Graduates from the School of Histories and Humanities have also entered accountancy, advertising, business, civil service, diplomatic corps, human resources, journalism, management, and publishing. Many also go on to further study.
Your degree and what you’ll study
Ancient and Medieval History and Culture is a four-year honours degree programme. Over the four years you will develop a broad understanding of the ancient and medieval worlds through an analysis of their art, architecture, archaeology, culture and history. These disciplines will be introduced to you in the first year of the programme. The teaching includes lectures, seminars (typically with 10-15 students) and site visits. As your studies progress, the modules become more thematically specialised, with an increasing emphasis on intensive discussion and independent research. In third and fourth years you have the option to choose from a wide range of modules, providing an opportunity for specialised research in areas that particularly interest you. Our teaching and learning is dynamic, with a strong emphasis on student participation.
The programme is assessed through a combination of end-of-semester examinations and continuous assessment (including essays, seminar presentations, group-work projects, and commentaries on sources). Students undertake a Capstone research in the final year.
First year
Students will start with introductory modules in Ancient History or Latin, Art History, and Medieval History. These modules introduce you to key developments in the history and culture to antiquity and the middle ages c. 2000 BC-1500 AD.
Second year
In the second year all students take compulsory modules in Medieval History, Greek History and Roman Imperial History, and Medieval Art. The remaining modules are chosen from a range offered by the three disciplines, for example Irish, British or European Medieval History, Latin, Architectural History, the Art of the Italian Renaissance, and the Archaeology of the Greek and Roman Worlds. There is an opportunity to take Trinity Elective modules too.
Third and fourth years
In the third year the only compulsory module explores the Mediterranean in antiquity and the Middle Ages. You may choose other modules exploring aspects of ancient history, medieval history, art history and archaeology. In the final year you will choose two modules and write a Capstone project. Amongst the modules which may be available to study are: Spectacle and Entertainment in the Greek and Roman Worlds; Kings and Cities in the Hellenistic World; Anthropology and the Greeks; Ancient Cyprus; The Vikings c. 7901100 A.D.; From Kingdom to Colony, Ireland in the Twelfth Century; Kingship, Tyranny and Revolution, 1377–99; Medieval Marriage; Art, Gender & The Body in Renaissance Italy; Art & Architecture in Late Medieval Ireland.
The programme is assessed through a combination of end-of-semester examinations and continuous assessment (including essays, seminar presentations, group-work projects, and commentaries on sources). Students undertake a Capstone research in the final year.
There are QQI/FET routes available for this course. Please see www.cao.ie for details.
Click here for further information on modules/subjects.
Study abroad
In the second and third years of the programme students may take part in the annual field trip. These trips allow students to undertake detailed first-hand analysis of sites and objects. Past destinations have included Bruges/Ghent; Canterbury, Cologne, Durham, and Florence.
Students studying Ancient and Medieval History and Culture may apply to spend a year abroad, using the exchange networks of the School of Histories and Humanities. These include Erasmus programme links with universities in Berlin, Bologna, Bordeaux, Edinburgh, Florence, Geneva, Istanbul, Madrid, Manchester, Paris, Pisa, Prague, Siena, St Andrews, Uppsala and Vienna. In addition, the programme facilitates exchanges with non-European institutions in Australia, Canada, China, Singapore and the USA. For more information on study abroad destinations and requirements visit: www.tcd.ie/study/study-abroad
