The College has a strong classical tradition, with undergraduates reading Classics and Classical Archaeology and Ancient History (CAAH) as well as the Joint Schools of Classics and English, Classics and Modern Languages and Classics and Oriental Studies.
St Anne’s encourages applications for CAAH, which combines study of the history, archaeology and art of the Classical world. Principal responsibility for CAAH teaching lies with our Lecturer in Ancient History, Dr Ed Bispham. As a Roman historian with years of experience in an excavation in the Sangro Valley in the Abruzzo region of Italy, Dr Bispham is ideally placed to teach both the history and archaeology aspects of this course. He has also served for a number of years as Director of the British School at Rome Summer School in Roman Art and Archaeology.
St Anne’s also benefits from being a short walk from the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Sackler library – the University library that specializes in in Archaeology, Art History and Classics.
Prior study of Greek, Latin or Ancient History is not required for students applying to read CAAH. You are, however, advised to read around in the field of Ancient History. Any experience of practical archaeology or museum work that you can obtain will also stand you in good stead.
There is a Classics Society, and several College funds help to provide prizes, to support travel and field archaeology, and to augment the well-stocked classical library.