The discipline of Ancient History at the University of Basel investigates the societies of the Greek and Roman worlds, as well as their neighboring regions, from the emergence of literate cultures to the end of antiquity, from the perspective of historical scholarship. As a field, it occupies an interface between the study of History and Ancient Civilizations, combining historical inquiry with the methods and sources of various disciplines within Ancient Civilizations. In doing so, it makes a central contribution to the transdisciplinary exploration of the ancient world.

Ancient History in Basel collaborates closely with the other disciplines of Ancient Civilizations represented at the university, in particular Classical Archaeology, Classical Philology, and Archaeological Science. Its research draws on a wide spectrum of ancient sources, including literary texts, papyri, inscriptions, and coins, as well as archaeological and other material remains. In recent years, these traditional sources have increasingly been combined with scientific data—such as those derived from archaeogenetics, bioarchaeology, isotope analysis, and paleoclimatology—thereby opening up new perspectives on environmental conditions, mobility, disease dynamics, and the social structures of ancient societies.