If you are interested in the challenge of studying in combination the archaeology and history of the classical world then this is the course for you.

In CAAH you study the societies and cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world through material, visual, and written evidence, and there is a strong practical element.  At the end of the first year, you spend two weeks at an approved archaeological dig or on a museum placement; and across your second and third years you write a report on an ancient site or museum artefact of your choice. There are also options to take up, or to continue with, ancient Greek or Latin.

Students go on to pursue a mix of careers, in museums, archaeology, or heritage management, as well as professions where the analytical and reasoning abilities acquired during the course are in demand—such as law, finance, the Civil Service, and management or strategy consulting.

For further information about Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at Oxford, see the Faculty of Classics website and the Classical Archaeology and Ancient History page on the Oxford University website.

Yearly Intake

At Keble: 2
At the Faculty: about 30

Past Admissions Feedback

Every year tutors prepare detailed feedback about the admissions process.
Links to the text from the last three years can be found below.

Feedback 2024 (College) (pdf)
Feedback 2024 (University) (pdf)
Feedback 2023 (College) (pdf)
Feedback 2023 (University) (pdf)

The Course at Keble

There are many good reasons for wanting to study CAAH at Keble.  The College has two ring-fenced places on offer each year for CAAH and, as such, the total number of students studying the course in College across all years typically is six.  In addition (in an arrangement which is unique to Keble) students belong to a wider subject ‘family’ which includes undergraduates reading for degrees in ‘Archaeology & Anthropology’ (four per year) and in ‘Human Sciences’ (three per year).  This means that CAAH students are part of a wider group of twenty-seven students and also that there are tutors in college which are shared between the subjects.

Keble has tutors in both Ancient History and Archaeology.  These include Lisa Bendall, who is the Tutorial Fellow and whose expertise is in Aegean prehistory, and Peter Haarer, who is a Lecturer in Ancient Greek history and the Director of Studies for the course.  (You will find other tutors listed below).

Keble also has one of the best undergraduate library collections relevant to CAAH in Oxford.  However, for textbooks which are in high demand or for more specific research volumes which make the study of the ancient world at Oxford special, it is only a short walk from the College to the main university library for the subject, namely the Bodleian Art, Archaeology, and Ancient World Library.

Other benefits of studying CAAH at Keble include the Owens Travelling Scholarship, which is a dedicated scholarship for funding undergraduate travel related to classical archaeology and history during the vacations.  During March 2025, Keble is taking a group of students to visit some of the less accessible sites in Roman Scotland which are of unique international importance.