Block 4 of A868 MA Classical Studies Part 1 is titled ‘People in the World’ and focuses on the world around ancient people and their relationships with it. The Block is designed to get students working with theoretical approaches to the study of antiquity, as well as to consider how Classical Studies changes as the modern world changes. Units explore various facets of the environmental humanities, including environmental archaeology, ecocriticism, posthumanism, and new animism; students consider the historical context in which these approaches arose. Students learn that environmental perspectives do not apply solely in modern contexts: for example, they consider how attitudes towards the environment such as a division between ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ emerge in early Greek sources, and study how Roman settlements affected and were affected by their local environments. The scholarship with which students engage goes beyond the traditional bounds of Classical Studies to consider ideas from Religious Studies and indigenous thought. As a whole, the Block encourages students to view Classical Studies in a wider context and as directly engaged with modern issues of sustainability and environmentalism. As a result, a notable number of students have chosen to focus on environmental approaches in their MA research.

Author: Christine Plastow, Open University, Senior Lecturer in Classical Studies.