University of Minnesota
Department of History
history@umn.edu
612-624-2800


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Home > Graduate Studies > Areas of Graduate Study : Ancient History

Ancient History

Ancient history at the University of Minnesota has a long pedigree of excellence under leading historians like Thomas Kelly. Faculty work closely with the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies to train you in the linguistic and textual skills necessary for ancient history.

Participating Faculty

  • John Evans works primarily in the history of ancient Rome. He has published extensively on the political elite of the first and second centuries A.D., as well as on the Italian peasantry, women, and the family.
  • Eva Von Dassow teaches the history and languages of the ancient Near East, focusing on the ancient Levant and Mesopotamia. Her research interests center on society and political history during the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE).
  • Andrew Gallia has published in both Greek and Roman history. His current research deals with historical memory during the Roman Empire.

Kimberly Bea: As a student of ancient history, I have enjoyed working with the excellent faculty in both the Department of History and the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies. The department has rigorous standards of training for its students of ancient history, requiring proficiency in both classical Greek and Latin, and encouraging wide familiarity with the genres of ancient literature, the use of archaeological evidence, and the insight gained from the use of comparative and anthropological evidence. My work with Drs. Evans and von Dassow has encouraged me to think critically about the pedagological needs of students in the world history survey courses, and in the more advanced ancient history courses, and I have had the opportunity to teach in courses of both types. The department is committed to expanding its field of ancient history through the hiring of bright new faculty such as Dr. Gallia, and through the annual Lauritsen lecture, which attracts faculty and students from history and CNES, colleagues from nearby universities, and interested laypeople.

Graduate Features

Graduate Studies
Rachel Ayers
1130 Heller Hall
271 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone: 612-624-5840
Email: histdgs@umn.edu

  • 'Best Dissertation' Arts and Humanities

    Congratulations to Nicole Phelps for winning this year's 'Best Dissertation" Award in the Arts and Humanities for her dissertation, "Sovereignty, Citizenship, and the New Liberal Order: US-Habsburg Relations and the Transformation of International Politics, 1880-1924."

    Nicole will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate. She will also be honored during a luncheon and ceremony at the Campus Club in early June.

     May 14th, 2008

  • 2007-08 Fulbright Scholarships

    Tovah Bender (Italy), Aeleah Soine (Germany), and Elizabeth Swedo (Iceland) were awarded Fulbright scholarships to support their dissertation research abroad during this academic year. Congratulations!

    To read more, visit the Graduate School Announcement.

     January 25th, 2008

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