Research
Browse our current and past research projects
Welcome to (dh)²
We are the UK’s largest cluster of Digital Classics, based in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University
(dh)² is the Digital Humanities research hub in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University. We form the UK’s largest cluster of research in Digital Classics, bringing together scholars working at the intersection of classical studies, computational methods, and critical humanities research.
Our work forms a key part of the Transformative Humanities research strategy of Durham’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Digital Humanities (DH) applies computational and digital approaches to the study of the ancient world. These methods enable new forms of analysis, modelling, visualisation, and interpretation that extend well beyond traditional approaches, opening up new questions about ancient languages, histories, and material cultures.
Research areas
Our work spans a broad range of themes, including:
- Digital methods for language, literature, and textual transmission, supporting close and distant reading, translation alignment, and the study of textual variation across ancient languages.
- AI for ancient written cultures, applying machine learning to large-scale datasets to support the study of epigraphic evidence, with an emphasis on human–AI collaboration and methodological transparency.
- Digital analysis of material and textual cultures, integrating written and archaeological evidence through digital tools and quantitative modelling to investigate historical processes, economies, and social structures.
Across these areas, we develop tools, datasets, and analytical frameworks that support both methodological innovation and substantive research in Classics and Ancient History.
Research environment
We foster strong interdisciplinary collaboration across Durham, working closely with colleagues in Computer Science, Archaeology, Modern Languages & Cultures, and the wider Digital Humanities community. Our research networks extend nationally and internationally, and we maintain active links with cultural heritage institutions and industry partners.
Teaching and training
Digital Humanities is embedded across our teaching and training activities. We offer innovative undergraduate modules that introduce students to digital and computational approaches to the ancient world, contribute to postgraduate teaching including pathways connected to Durham’s MA in Data Science, and provide supervision at both MA and PhD level for digitally focused projects within the Department.
Alongside this, we support early career researchers through postdoctoral mentorship and training, and contribute to public engagement, schools outreach, and professional development within and beyond the University.