Research in Ancient History

Ancient History

The following is a selected list of resources for starting research in ancient history/pre-history. For help finding primary sources, try the guide to Research Using Primary Sources. For further assistance, ask at the Reference Desk or contact the History Librarian (John Russell; johnruss@uoregon.edu; (541) 346-2689; AIM: UOHistLib).

Off-campus access to some of the electronic resources listed on this page is limited to current UO students, faculty, and staff and is indicated by a UO button off-campus access limited to UO.

Starting Your Research

The following reference sources can help you identify a topic for your research, provide an overview of a specific issue or topic, and suggest other materials which might be useful for your research. Always use the index if one is available. Each of the sources below includes articles signed by expert authors and bibliographies for further reference unless otherwise noted. Search the library catalog for these authors and titles to find further information on your topic.

  • Brill's New Pauly KNIGHT REFERENCE DE5 .N4813 2002
    The English translation of the encyclopedia of the classical world, Paulys Real-Encyclopadie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft.
  • Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization off-campus access limited to UO
    685 "articles on diverse fields such as, history and politics; ethics and morals; law and punishment; social and family life; language, literature, and art; religion and mythology; technology, science, and medicine."
  • Dictionary of World History off-campus access limited to UO
    A dictionary of 4,700 entries covering "4,000 years of world history. It includes biographical entries on hundreds of key figures..., subject entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and key battles and places."
  • Oxford Companion to Archaeology off-campus access limited to UO
    A dictionary of 700 entries providing "authoritative, stimulating entries on a range of subjects, including engaging biographies of the great figures in the field, extensive coverage of the methods used in archaeological research, together with essays that examine human evolution and the many general facets of culture."
  • Civilization of the Ancient Mediterranean KNIGHT REFERENCE DE59 .C55 1988
  • Civilizations of the Ancient Near East KNIGHT REFERENCE DS57 .C55 1995
  • Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East KNIGHT REFERENCE DS56 .O9 1997
  • New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land KNIGHT REFERENCE DS111.A2 E5813 1993
  • Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt KNIGHT REFERENCE DT58 .O94 2001
  • Encyclopedia of Pre-Colonial Africa: Archaeology, History, Languages, Cultures, and Environments KNIGHT REFERENCE DT2 .E53 1997
  • Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture KNIGHT REFERENCE CB201 .E53 1997
  • Ancient Europe 8000 B.C.-A.D. 1000 KNIGHT REFERENCE D62 .A52 2004
  • Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures: The Civilizations of Mexico and Central America KNIGHT REFERENCE F1218.6 .O95 2001
  • Handbook of Middle American Indians KNIGHT REFERENCE F1434 .H3
  • Handbook of North American Indians KNIGHT REFERENCE E77 .H25
  • Handbook of South American Indians KNIGHT REFERENCE F2229 .S75
  • Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America: An Encyclopedia KNIGHT REFERENCE E77.9 .A72 1998
  • Australians to 1788 KNIGHT REFERENCE DU110.A895 1987 v.1
  • Encyclopedia of Asian History KNIGHT REFERENCE DS31.E53 1988
  • Other Strategies

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Finding Articles

To look for articles in journals, newspapers, or magazines, you will need to start with an index. An index will allow you to look for article citations by subject, by author, or by a few keywords which describe your topic.

  • L'Année Philologique off-campus access limited to UO
    L'Annee Philologique is the only comprehensive index in classical studies. Articles are selected from 1,000 journals in all Western languages. The online version covers vol 30 (1959) to present. See some tips for searching this unique interface.
  • Academic Search Premier off-campus access limited to UO
    An interdisciplinary index. Includes citations from popular as well as scholarly journals. Provides full text for over 3,600 journals as well as indexing and abstracts for nearly 4,500 additional journals many of which are peer reviewed.
  • Other sources
    Use specialized indexes by region or historical period.

After identifying articles which look useful for your research, use FindText to see if we subscribe to the journal online or in print. Note the call number and location to find a print journal on the shelf.

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Finding Books

  • UO Library Catalog
    Identify books by topic, title or author. Identify journals and magazines owned by the UO Library. If you do not find a pre-1976 book here, look in the card catalog (by author or title only) in the Current Periodicals Room.
  • Summit: the catalog of the Orbis Cascade Alliance
    Summit millions of items at your fingertips. Books not owned by the UO Library or not available for check out may be requested through Orbis Cascade Borrowing: Request Item. Books arrive within 2-3 working days and are always free to borrow.

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People & Organizations

  • Biography and Genealogy Master Index off-campus access limited to UO
    An index to hundreds of sources of biographical information of people worldwide from all time periods.
  • Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada
    KNIGHT REFERENCE E 172 .A538
    Organized by state then city. Contains addresses and brief descriptions of organizations and their collections if any.
  • Who's Who in the Classical World off-campus access limited to UO
    A dictionary of ancient biography, covering Greek and Roman history and politics, literature, philosophy, science, and art.
  • Women in World History: a biographical encyclopedia; KNIGHT REFERENCE HQ1115 .W6 1999
    20 volume encyclopedia covering women from all periods of history including photographs when available. Rich encyclopedia containing information on women not often found in other sources.

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Web Resources

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