At the same time it presents them with unusual opportunities and challenges. Students may be expected to think critically about phenomena as different as painted pottery for aristocratic consumption, official public inscriptions on stone, and the meaning of words as reflected in their use in modern Greek or in the related vocabulary of modern English. Although a classical canon has been studied over many centuries, new material is found every year. The body of information available for study is continually growing. Previously neglected areas are opened up as researchers put new questions to existing materials.
Different approaches yield different sorts of answers.
Programmes of study within the subject area are unusually quick to respond to these developments in research, not least because at present all departments offering honours degree programmes in Classics and Ancient History are also research-active. It is a strength of the subject area that its boundaries are permeable. One major factor is creative interaction with other disciplines and fields, including for example anthropology, archaeology, art history, drama, English, history, Jewish and Near Eastern studies, linguistics, modern languages, philosophy and religious studies. Openness to the insights and methodologies of these and other disciplines and fields, and responsiveness to changing approaches within them, help to make Classics and Ancient History a dynamic field of study. The subject is evolving and will continue to evolve.