John Barron, an archaeologist and former Master of Oxford University's St Peter's College, has died aged 74.

His association with Oxford began in 1953, when he went to Balliol College to read Classics.

His first academic post was at Bedford College, in London, where he lectured in Latin.

Here, he met his wife Caroline Hogarth, the granddaughter of prominent archaeologist and historian DG Hogarth.

The couple had two daughters, Catherine and Helen. In 1964 he moved to University College London, and took on a post as an archaeology lecturer, before returning to Oxford in 1991 as Master of St Peter's, where he was to remain until his retirement in 2003.

Dr Barron was active in raising the female proportion of undergraduates at the college from below 30 per cent to about 50 per cent, and helped improve the college's academic status.

From 1997 to 2000, Dr Barron was chairman of the colleges' admissions committee, where he pushed for the university to attract a wider range of applicants.

He published several books, which are still highly regarded.

He is survived by his wife and two children.