The core area of ​​Classical Archaeology is represented by the cultures of Greek and Roman antiquity.
The geographic framework includes Greece, Asia Minor and Italy, but also the areas of neighbouring cultures with which Greeks and Romans were in close contact. The time frame extends from the late Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC) to the late Antiquity (4th / 5th centuries AD).
The subject focuses on the material legacy of ancient cultures. These include artefacts such as architecture, sculpture, painting, ceramics and coins that can be experienced visually. As factors of historical situations, they have to be reconstructed in their utilisation context and their original function. The contexts include public and private life, politics, economics, sanctuaries/shrines and rituals as well as burials.
Classical Archaeology in Tübingen represents the entire scope of the subject in terms of research and teaching. In addition, the institute offers the specialisation Cultural Contacts and Cultural Transfer and – a rare opportunity in the German-speaking world – the option to combine classical archaeology with the study of ancient numismatics.
The institute's extensive collection of antiquities and coins also gives students the opportunity to work with original documents and to acquire their first museological experiences. The collection of plaster casts of ancient sculpture works is also intensively integrated into the teaching experience. It serves as visual training on important examples of Greek and Roman sculptures.
The continuous scientific processing of the collections, together with several field projects in the Mediterranean area organised annually in the summer months, guarantees a practical component.