Institute of Classical Archaeology

Welcome to the Institute of Classical Archaeology at Tübingen University! The institute is situated in the north wing of Hohentübingen Castle, a medieval fortress rebuilt during Renaissance and adapted as part of the University in the late 1990ies, atop the Schloßberg, towering above the Old Town. The Institute of Classical Archaeology at Tübigen is among the oldest departments in Germany. It was founded in 1865 when Adolf Michaelis was hired as Professor of Archaeology at Tübingen. Today, the Institute is one of the leading departments in the field of archaeology in Germany. In the 2023 QS worldwide ranking, Tübingen was ranked 14th in the field of Archaeology as leading German-speaking institute.

Study and Research

The castle is one of the most attractive historic landmarks of Tübingen and home to the Institute of Classical Archaeology, Egyptology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Prehistory, and Anthropology, furnishing students and scholars with a variety of strong research libraries. The castle is also home to the archaeology and anthropology collection of the museum of the University of Tübingen, housing renowned collections of European prehistory, Egyptology, Mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeology and anthropology, the cast collection as well as the department of coins and medals. The museum and its rich collections provide students with a unique chance to study material culture from genuine ancient objects. The departments of ancient history, art history, classics and religious studies and their excellent libraries at the foot of the Schloßberg and in the in the Old Town round off an outstanding environment to study Greek and Roman archaeology at Tübingen.

Profile

With more than ten faculty members – even though the Ancient World is the Institute’s sole scholarly focus –, the Institute of Classical Archaeology at Tübingen is among the larger departments in Germany. The department’s research strengths include the study of sculpture, architecture, and pottery studies with geographical emphasis on Greece, Turkey, and Italy.
Through various research projects, the Institute actively engages with the collections in the university museum and annually conducts archaeological excavations and surveys in the Mediterranean. Current research projects deal with iconographic studies and fieldwork, ranging from Early Greek to Late Antique period in Turkey, Greece, Carthage, Pompeii, and Rome.
Additionally, the Institute of Classical Archaeology at Tübingen provides the unique chance to their students to combine the study of archaeology with ancient numismatics. Being a hotspot for producing cutting edge research in archaeology, the Institute regularly organises workshops, symposia and conferences and constantly hosts international leading visiting scholars.