Program Overview

Uncover Scotland's past and help shape its future. This joint honours programme gives you the opportunity to study Celtic languages, literatures and cultures alongside the archaeology of Scotland and the wider world.

Celtic

In Celtic, we work with the medieval literary tradition in Early Irish and Medieval Welsh (the most extensive in the whole of Europe), as well as Scottish Gaelic from the late Middle Ages to the present. We also explore the rich oral tradition recorded from the 18th century to the present day, and poetry from the 18th century golden age of Gaelic literature.

You will study 19th and 20th century responses to the rapid social, cultural, and linguistic changes in countries where the Celtic languages are spoken. You will also study the writing, song, and media production emerging from the lively and varied contemporary cultural scene in Gaelic Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

At all levels of study, we offer courses in language, literature, history, and culture. This will enable you to build your programme by developing your own interests in particular areas, periods, and disciplines of Celtic studies. Our expertise extends to:

• Theoretical and practical issues of current sociolinguistics
• Language policy
• Language revitalisation

Language study

You can choose to study Scottish Gaelic from Year 1, and continue to learn about Scottish Gaelic language, literature, and culture throughout your studies.

If you choose this pathway through the programme, it doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner in Scottish Gaelic; we stream our Year 1 classes to suit all levels of prior knowledge or none.

You can also learn a medieval Celtic language at honours level (Years 3 and 4). For this path, you will study Celtic civilisation and literature in Years 1 and 2, with texts presented in English translation.

Both Old Irish and Middle Welsh are available, and students may choose to study one, or both.

Archaeology

Your studies in archaeology will take you back in time, and help you to develop a parallel range of skills in the interpretation of social and cultural change.

The programme also enables students to appreciate:

• The material basis of archaeology
• The contested nature of objects
• The social relationships that are spun around objects and the people who use and interpret them