Bachelor – Master – PhD

Classical Archaeology in Swiss Higher Education

There are seven universities in Switzerland where Classical Archaeology is taught: Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg (French‑speaking), as well as Bern, Basel, and Zurich (German‑speaking). The relevant university departments are listed on the website of the Swiss Association of Classical Archaeology (SAKA/ASAC), along with other useful information.

Undergraduates are required to take part in fieldwork and museum training as part of their curriculum. Swiss archaeological projects in South Italy and Greece regularly welcome bachelor and master students in Classical archaeology, allowing them to acquire the practical skills essential to their future profession. The Swiss School oversees fieldwork projects at several sites in Greece, particularly on the island of Euboea, at Eretria and Amarynthos, but also in recent years on Aegina and Antikythera. Undergraduates from Switzerland and abroad can participate in archaeological excavations, field surveys, and the study of archaeological material.

In addition, internship positions in conservation and restoration, as well as in technical drawing and public outreach, are also offered. Limited in number, these positions are reserved for students enrolled in Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts (HE-Arc, HKB, ZhDK).

More recently, doctoral schools have also been organized by ESAG in Greece on various thematic topics (such as Epigraphy, among others). They are open to PhD candidates and advanced Master’s students from all universities.

Master’s and PhD studies with the Swiss School

Advanced students who are already familiar with the fieldwork and research conducted by the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece may continue their training by studying unpublished material and archaeological datasets as part of their Master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. This offers them the opportunity to join working groups, develop teamwork skills, and gain highly professionalizing experience. More than 20 PhD theses and 60 Master’s theses have been completed in collaboration with ESAG. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact your professors and the researchers currently involved in ESAG’s projects.

→ Prehistoric period and finds: Tobias Krapf and Sylvie Müller
→ Geometric period and finds: Samuel Verdan
→ Archaic period and finds: Tamara Saggini
→ Classical period and pottery: Claudia Gamma
→ Hellenistic period and finds: Guy Ackermann
→ Roman period and pottery: Simone Zurbriggen
→ Coins: Marguerite Spoerri Butcher
→ Glass: Brigitte Demierre Prikhodkine
→ Terracotta Figurines: Pauline Maillard
→ Sculpture: Karl Reber and Laureline Pop
→ Inscriptions: Delphine Ackermann and Denis Knoepfler
→ Anthropology: Maria Liston
→ Archaeozoology: Angelos Gkotsinas
→ Malacology: Tatiana Theodoropoulou
→ Archaeobotanics: Evi Margaritis
→ Ancient DNA: Anna Sapfo Malaspinas
→ Architecture: Jérôme André and Alexandra Tanner
→ Fortifications: Sylvian Fachard
→ Gymnasia and Hellenistic Monuments: Guy Ackermann
→ Sanctuaries: Samuel Verdan, Tamara Saggini and Sandrine Huber
→ Agora: Tamara Saggini
→ Survey and GIS: Sylvian Fachard and Chloé Chezeaux
→ Topography and Urbanism: Thierry Theurillat
→ Aegina: Tobias Krapf
→ Greece, 18th–19th c.: Ferdinand Pajor
→ Outreach: Christina Pagoni and Caterina Martini
→ Conservation–Restoration: Valentin Boissonnas  and Harry Giannoulopoulos

Recent Master’s and PhD theses with ESAG

Ongoing

• CHEZEAUX Chloé, The Eretria-Amarynthos survey, PhD thesis, University of Lausanne.
• ANDRÉ Jérôme, Building techniques in Eretria, PhD thesis, University of Lausanne.
• GAMMA Claudia, Klassische Keramik von Eretria, PhD thesis, University of Basel.
• ZURBRIGGEN Simone, Die kaiserzeitliche Keramik von Eretria, PhD thesis, University of Basel.
• PACHECO MARTINS Claudio, Les installations portuaires d’Erétrie, Master thesis, University of Lausanne.
• PEDRAZZINI Sofia, Die figürliche Keramik aus dem Votivdepot des Artemistempels in Amarynthos, Master thesis, University of Zurich.
• PALTHEY Charlotte, Les fortifications sur l’acropole d’Erétrie, Master thesis, University of Lausanne.
• FASEL Marie, La céramique classique du survey de la plaine de Mazi, Master thesis, University of Lausanne.

Submitted

• ACKERMANN Delphine, Des pierres et des hommes. Microhistoire et épigraphie des espaces athéniens et érétriens. Habilitation thesis (HDR), Sorbonne University, 2025.
• Da ROCHA BAPTISTA Joana, Les fortifications de l’Aniforitis et la péninsule de Drosia: entre l’Eubée et la Béotie. Master Thesis, University of Lausanne, 2025.
• SCHAER Julie, Archéologie, génétique et histoires individuelles. Recherches préliminaires sur 75 individus issus de sépultures eubéennes (Helladique moyen – époque médiévale). Master Thesis, Lausanne University, 2024.
• GREGER Daniela, Central Euboean Trade in the 8th and 7th Century B.C. through Social Network Analysis. PhD Thesis, Lausanne University & Oxford University, 2024.
• COLOMBARA Ludivine, Étude des édifices 8 et 16 du sanctuaire d’Artémis à Amarynthos. Master thesis, University of Lausanne, 2023.
• LÜTHI Nadja, Heiliges Handwerk oder symbolische Gaben? Deutungsversuche der Textilwerkzeuge im Artemisheiligtum von Amarynthos. Master thesis, University of Basel, 2023.
• NICOLE Nina, La céramique miniature d’Érétrie. Étude en contexte domestique et public de l’époque archaïque à hellénistique.  Master thesis, University of Geneva, 2023.
• SAGGINI Tamara, Érétrie au tournant des époques archaïque et classique. Céramique en contextes. PhD thesis, University of Geneva, 2022.
• URFER Sora, Le petit mobilier du dépôt d’offrandes de l’Artémision d’Amarynthos. Master thesis, University of Lausanne, 2022.
• CHEZEAUX Chloé, Les carrières antiques d’Érétrie: une étude micro-régionale de l’extraction de la pierre. Master thesis, University of Lausanne, 2022.
• MONNARD Thérèse, Artémis et le golfe de l’Eubée. Étude comparative des sanctuaires de Brauron et Halaï Araphénidès, en Attique, Aulis, en Béotie, et Amarynthos, en Eubée. Master thesis, University of Neuchâtel, 2022.
• ANDRÉ Jérôme, Murmures de murs. Étude d’un édifice de la basse époque hellénistique dans le sanctuaire d’Artémis à Amarynthos. Master thesis, University of Lausanne, 2021.
• MUSY Mila, Étude archéozoologique dans la stoa Est d’Érétrie (Eubée, Grèce). Master-part thesis, University of Geneva, 2020.
• YAW Joséphine, Epinetra aus dem Heiligtum der Artemis Amarysia. Bachelor thesis, Zurich University 2019.
• KATSARELIA Kyriaki, Une nécropole classique-hellénistique dans la nouvelle usine alimentée au gaz naturel d’Aliveri. Les tombes et ses céramiques. Master thesis, University of Lausanne, 2018.
• PAUDEX Sarah, Des pyrai pas comme les autres: vers une nouvelle interprétation des dépôts du Quartier de l’Ouest à Erétrie?  Master thesis, Lausanne University 2018.
• ACKERMANN Guy, La céramique d’Erétrie à l’époque hellénistique. Une chrono-typologie au service de l’histoire d’une ville grecque entre la fin du IVe et le Ier siècle av. J.-C. PhD thesis, University of Lausanne, 2018.