Greek and Latin Trip to the Ashmolean
Greek and Latin Trip to the Ashmolean
At the end of the 2025 Autumn Term, GCSE and A Level Greek and Latin students visited the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.
My first impression was simple: wow - this is old! Founded in 1683, it is the oldest public museum in Britain and the world’s first university museum.
The Ashmolean excels at using its collections to tell human stories across cultures and time. Alongside major collections of Chinese and Egyptian art, it houses an outstanding range of Greek artefacts, including painted pottery such as Panathenaic amphorae and a Minoan octopus jar dating to around 1450 BCE.
Particularly striking were the gold jewellery and grave goods from Scythian and Thracian burials, and the finely carved Greek gems, which reveal remarkable craftsmanship.
Seeing everyday life depicted on ancient pottery was fascinating, and the preservation of these objects highlights how advanced these societies were.
The museum’s modern renovation creates a fresh setting that contrasts with the ancient objects, while familiar items such as combs and hair clips offer a tangible link to the past.
The Ashmolean shows that, despite change, human creativity endures.
My impression remains: wow - it’s old, but in the best way.
Grace, UC4