Classical Archaeology and Ancient History: University of Oxford

CAAH at Oxford

The degree is unique in offering balanced and equal courses in both the archaeological and the historical registers of the classical Mediterranean cultures, including classes led by two faculty members, one archaeologist and one historian, designed to ensure a thorough interdisciplinary integration.

The University’s resources for this combined subject are excellent, in terms of both library facilities – much of the Sackler Library collections is built around these two subjects – and the range and number of postholders in the two fields. The University’s Ashmolean Museum also contains wide-ranging collections of art and artefacts from the classical cultures.

Fieldwork and international opportunities

There are two practical elements – a fieldwork requirement either on a University-sponsored excavation or on another field project in Italy, Greece or in the Mediterranean, and the preparation of a site report or museum report.

A typical weekly timetable

During year 1, your work is divided between lectures (about four to six a week), team-taught classes (one a week) and/or tutorials (one or two a week) and private study. In years 2 and 3, besides lectures and tutorials, you will also spend time preparing your museum or site report.

Admission requirements

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate_courses....

Application procedure

You do not need a humanities or classics background, or to have studied history or archaeology before. You will be required to submit two recent marked essays written as part of your school or college course.

Course summary

1st year Courses

Four courses are taken:

Core elements (2):

• Aristocracy and democracy in the Greek world, 550–450 bc
• Republic to empire: Rome, 50 bc to ad 50

Optional elements:

• Archaeology: Homeric archaeology; Greek vases; Greek sculpture; Roman architecture
• History: Thucydides and the West; Aristophanes’ political comedy; Cicero and Catiline; Tacitus and Tiberius
• Ancient Languages: Beginning, Ancient Greek, Beginning Latin
• Further Greek, Further Latin

Assesment

• First University examinations (moderations): Four written papers

2nd and 3rd year Courses

Six courses are taken:

Period papers (4 chosen):

• Early Greece and the Mediterranean, 800–500 bc
• Greek history, 479–403 bc
• Greek art and archaeology, 500–300 bc
• Rome, Italy, and Hellenistic Eas
• Politics, society and culture from Nero to Hadrian
• Roman archaeology: cities and settlement under the empire

Special subjects:

• Archaeology: Options include: Egyptian art and architecture; Greek and Roman coins; Scientific methods in archaeology; the Celtic world; Byzantium, ad 500–1100; Emergence of Medieval Europe, ad 400–900
• History: Options include: Athenian democracy; Sexuality and gender; Alexander and his successors; Julian to Augustine, ad 350–395; Religions in the Greek and Roman world
• Ancient Languages: Beginning Ancient Greek or Latin, Further Greek and Latin

Fieldwork

Site or museum report

Assesment

• Final University examinations: Six written papers (four core, two special); one site or museum report; one thesis (optional)