Dr Henry Clarke

Profile

I am currently a research-active Lecturer in Roman History and Culture at the University of Leeds. I completed a BA in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at New College, Oxford (2007–2011), and in July 2009 I received accredited theoretical and practical archaeological training during an excavation of the Celtic-Iron Age Necropolis and Roman settlement at Pintia in Central Spain with the University of Valladolid and ArchaeoSpain. I then completed my MA in Classics at the University of Leeds (2011–12) with a specialisation in Roman history, historiography and archaeology, and a dissertation on Roman actions and local attitudes amongst Celtiberian chiefdoms in Central Spain (197–133 BC). Having completed my MA, I went on to work in Libraries and Learning Innovation at Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University). I volunteered concurrently as a Database Assistant for the Canal and River Trust's National Moorings Team. I also began working an Assistant Examiner and Specialist Marker in Ancient History for Oxford, Cambridge & RSA Examinations (OCR) in 2012, a post I continue to hold.

I began my doctoral research at the University of Leeds in September 2013 under the supervision of Dr Penny Goodman, and graduated in July 2018. My PhD thesis was titled: 'The Durius Valley Project: Local Identity, Cultural Change, and Landscape Relationships in Roman Spain and Portugal'. Further information about my doctoral research is detailed in the 'Research Interests' section of this profile page.

During the final year of my PhD, I was appointed to a Teaching Fellowship in Roman History and Culture at the University of Leeds in September 2016. From March to August 2018, I held a Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Leeds Humanities Research Institute. In July 2018, I was appointed to a full-time Teaching Fellowship and I was subsequently after appointed as a research-active Lecturer in Roman History and Culture.

Responsibilities

• Academic Assessment Lead (School of LCS)

Research interests

My research explores the effects of the establishment of Roman power on local identities, cultures, and landscape relationships in Iberia and, more broadly, across the Roman Empire, with a particular focus on the western provinces. My primary research combines theoretical work on local identity, cultural change, and the relationship between human society and the physical environment to reveal original insights into the lived experiences of the ancient inhabitants of Iberia during the establishment of Roman power, with a particular focus on the Durius River Valley. I am equally interested in the reception of Roman history, historiography, culture, and archaeology in the modern world. As such, I am also investigating the use of historic episodes of resistance to Roman power in European history and culture, and the links between modern competitive rowing and boat races in the ancient world (with a particular focus on issues of elitism), bringing together my expertise in ancient history and rowing.

My PhD thesis produced a landscape-based study of local identity and cultural change in the Durius Valley in Roman Iberia (the modern Duero/ Douro river in Spain and Portugal) before and during the establishment of Roman power in the Iberian Peninsula, from approximately the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. My research exemplified the effects of empire on complex negotiations and performances of local identity, and on relationships with the landscape within the Durius Valley region. The thesis achieved a more nuanced understanding of the detailed social structures and cultural interactions at work within this clearly-defined region during the establishment of Roman power, and demonstrated the potential of combining scholarly approaches which are not always deployed collectively. The PhD was funded by a University of Leeds Research Scholarship, and was supervised by Dr Penelope Goodman.

I am currently preparing my doctoral research for publication as a monograph, whilst also working on smaller outputs on the themes of commemoration, historical perceptions of connectivity, and local social memory and landscape in Roman Iberia. Ongoing and planned research includes a project concentrating on the legacy of the history of the Durius Valley under the Roman Empire on modern identities and lived experiences within the region, including an analysis of the reception of ancient sets of meaning in the local landscape. Preliminary research is also underway for a large-scale historical receptions project investigating the use of historic episodes of resistance to Roman power in European history and culture.

I am likewise interested in the links between modern competitive rowing and boat races in the ancient world, with an emphasis on issues of elitism in ancient and modern rowing, and equipment and training, bringing together my expertise in ancient history and rowing.

I can be contacted about my research on the email address above, or via my LinkedIn and Academia.edu profiles. I welcome expressions of interest from prospective PhD candidates.

Qualifications

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• PhD Classics, University of Leeds (2018)
• MA Classics (2012)
• BA Literae Humaniores (Classics), Oxford (2011)

Professional memberships

• Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal (TRAJ) Editorial Board Member
• The Classical Association
• The Roman Society
• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Women's Classical Committee UK
• UKRI Early Career Researcher Forum member
• OCR Classics Consultative Forum member

Student education

I teach, lead and assess research-informed modules in Roman history, culture and  archaeology at all levels of the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum. I have also been involved in the teaching of the Latin language, Latin Literature, and classical commentary. I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate research projects, and I am an Academic Personal Tutor in Classics and the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

I welcome applications from prospective PhD candidates interested in all aspects of Roman history and archaeology; especially the Roman provinces and the themes of local identity, cultural change, the relationship between humankind and the physical environment, and lived experiences of Roman power.

I have recently co-supervised the following PhD project to completion:

• Amphitheatres and cultural change in Roman Britain

In 2015 I completed the University of Leeds Teaching Award (Descriptor 1) and became an Associate Fellowsh of the Higher Education Academy, earning professional recognition of my experience in student education. In 2017–18 I was shortlisted for Faculty and University Partnership Awards in Inspirational Teaching, receiving additional nominations in the categories of Innovation and Positive Impact. In 2021 I won a Faculty Partnership Award for Academic Personal Tutoring. In other academic years, I have been nominated for awards in Postgraduate Teaching, Positive Impact, Personal Tutoring, PhD Thesis/Dissertation Supervision, and Inspirational Teaching.

I am passionate about enhancing the student voice and the partnership between all members of the University of Leeds community, and as such have been involved in Student Voice working groups and similar initiatives in recent years. I am currently a member of the Equality and Inclusion working group in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

I am happy to be contacted about my teaching, research and other related activities on the email address above, or via my LinkedIn and Academia.edu profiles.

Research groups and institutes

• Classics and Ancient History
• Classics
• Cultural studies
• History