Library guides: Primary sources for humanities: Archaeology & Classics

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Suggested starting point

A good starting point for primary sources in archaeology and ancient history is to search the Library's collection. Use Search to find sources and antiquities relating to Egypt, Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. Also consult the other sources mentioned on this page.

You may be looking for the works of writers, so starting with the Library of Latin Texts which provides major texts from the classical period and the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae which provides the ancient Greek texts.

Microform

Microform is an older technology which still provides us with a wealth of hidden information. This list is a tiny example of what is available on microfilm and microfiche. Jenny Casey at the Matheson Library is happy to assist you to uncover the microform collection.

Microform collections A-Z
Alphabetical list of microform collections held at Monash library.
The Dead Sea scrolls on microfiche a comprehensive facsimile edition of the texts from the Judean Desert
Published under the auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Aboriginal artefacts in the Donald Thomson collection : a microfiche catalogue
Donald Fergusson Thomson (1901-1970) one of the most distinguished anthropologists to work in Australia, recognized as an authority on the Australian Aborigines. The collection consists of approximately 5,000 artefacts collected mainly in Cape York Peninsula, Arnhem Land, the Great Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert of Western Australia, and the Solomon Islands and Irian Jaya. It includes a wide range of material such as ceremonial objects, domestic utensils, raw materials, tools and is accompanied by approximately 7,000 pages of field notes and a quantity of language notes, 11,000 photographic negatives, plus films, audio tapes from the 1957 and 1963 Desert Expeditions.

Online sources

Loeb classical library
A fully searchable, virtual library of Greek and Latin literature with English translations. Includes epic and lyric poetry; tragedy and comedy; history, travel, philosophy, and oratory; the great medical writers and mathematicians; and, those Church Fathers who made particular use of pagan culture. Users can browse, search, bookmark, annotate, and share content.
Library of Latin texts. Series A
"[The Library of Latin texts. Series A, formerly known as CLCLT] contains texts from the beginning of Latin literature (Livius Andronicus, 240 BC) through to the texts of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). It covers all the works from the classical period, the most important patristic works, a very extensive corpus of Medieval Latin literature as well as works of recentior latinitas. ...
Library of Latin texts : Series B
Primarily designed for finding Latin word forms within the works in this collection. Each search-query shows the results in the context of a sentence, but from here the user can consult the whole text of the work. Texts can also be accessed through an index of author and work references. Each work that is incorporated has been the subject of a historical and literary-critical examination by the Centre Traditio Litterarum Occidentalium (or its predecessor, Cetedoc) and is accompanied by a didactical "memento" (Background on the text) which supplies chronological, bibliographical, critical and statistical information. All relevant Clavis Patrum Latinorum entries have been fully integrated.
Thesaurus linguae Graecae
The TLG digital library contains virtually all ancient Greek texts surviving from the period between Homer (8th century B.C.) and A.D. 600, and a large number of texts deriving from the period between A.D. 600 and the fall of the Byzantium in 1453, in excess of 80 million words. Scholia and Byzantine historiographical and lexicographical works are also included. Topics include Greek literature, history, and culture.

Perseus digital library
A comprehensive digital database of Greek and Roman texts as well as other collections. Site is owned by Tufts University.
Monash University image databases guide
Monash University Library subscribes to ARTstor which contains more than 1,000,000 digital images covering many time periods and cultures, and documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts. The Library also subscribes to Bridgeman Education, Oxford Art Online as well as numerous others. This resource is very useful for locating images from particular collections and time periods.

Europeana
Europeana.eu is a digital library containing over 30 million items, including images, texts, audio and video, from European museums, galleries, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections.
Gallica : la bibliotheque numerique.
Provides access to selected print and visual resources of the digital library of the National Library of France. Includes full text materials, of which some are searchable.
World Digital Library
The World Digital Library (WDL) is a project of the U.S. Library of Congress, carried out with the support of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), and in cooperation with libraries, archives, museums, educational institutions, and international organizations from around the world.

The WDL makes available on the Internet significant primary materials from all countries and cultures. Content on the WDL includes books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, journals, prints and photographs, sound recordings, and films. Each item on the WDL is accompanied by an item-level description that explains its significance and historical context. Additional information about selected items is provided by curator videos. Other features include advanced image-viewing, timelines, interactive maps, and in-depth thematic sections on selected topics.