The University of Michigan offers an Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program in Ancient Mediterranean Art and Archaeology (IPAMAA), which derives special strength from an interdisciplinary and inclusive approach to the study of antiquity. The program is jointly sponsored by the Departments of Classical Studies and History of Art and is closely associated with the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Ancient Mediterranean archaeology is the study of the societies that surrounded the Mediterranean basin, as well as related cultures, from the early phases of human habitation through Late Antiquity, as illuminated by material evidence. It naturally subsumes the study of material and visual culture, but is also much wider in scope. In addition to the ongoing exploration of the physical remains of ancient Mediterranean cultures, and to the traditional fields of Aegean, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern art and architecture, Mediterranean archaeology is engaged with historical issues such as state formation, imperialism, and colonization; with sociological issues such as the study of gender and household organization; with “ideological” concerns such as the formation of social, religious, and ethnic identity; and with a wide range of economic issues including ancient agriculture, trade, and resource extraction, among others.