Dr Henry Clarke

Profile

I work on local identity, culture change and human-environment interactions during the Late Iron Age and Roman periods in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as receptions of resistance against Rome from antiquity to the present day.

I completed my BA in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at New College, Oxford (2007–11), before moving to the University of Leeds for my MA in Classics (2011–12) and then PhD (2013-18). I was appointed to a Teaching Fellowship in Roman History and Culture at Leeds in September 2016 before becoming a research-active lecturer in 2021.

I speak English, Spanish and French, and some Portuguese.

Responsibilities

• Academic Assessment Lead (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies)

Research interests

My research primarily explores the impact of the Roman Empire on local identities, cultures, and the relationship between humankind and the natural environment, with a particular focus on the Iberian Peninsula. This research builds on my PhD thesis, which looked at local identity, culture change and relationships with the landscape in the Durius River Valley (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 PhD was funded by a University of Leeds Research Scholarship and was supervised by Dr Penelope Goodman. I am currently preparing to publish my first monograph based on this project, as well as articles on the themes of funerary commemoration, perceptions of connectivity and the relationship between social memory and the landscape in the ancient Durius Valley.

I am equally interested in the reception of Roman history, historiography, culture, and archaeology in the modern world. As such, the second main strand of my research concerns the use of ancient episodes of resistance to Roman power in European history, politics and culture. This project will re-visit historical precedent by analysing archaeological and textual evidence to reconstruct how non-elite groups articulated and managed their emotions and identities during moments of resistance. It will also explore how resistance to Rome has been represented and deployed from antiquity to the present day, focussing on the politicisation of elite vs non-elite experiences.

Finally, I have a side interest in investigating the links between modern competitive rowing and boat races in the ancient world, with a particular focus on issues of elitism, equipment and training, bringing together my expertise in ancient history and rowing.

I am a member of the Centre for Ancient World and Classical Reception Studies and Water@leeds at the University of Leeds, and the Centre for Ancient Environmental Studies at the University of St Andrews.

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.

Impact and Engagement

In 2025 I worked with BBC producers and a design agency as a subject specialist consultant in Roman history and culture to produce a new Roman era drawing on my research into identity and culture change for a BBC Bitesize educational online historical game for Key Stage 2 school pupils, ages 7-11, aligned with the English national curriculum. I helped to develop three new areas of the game based on Roman Britain, Roman Power and Ordinary Life in the Roman World: History Explorer: Secrets through time

Since 2022 I have also been collaborating with Dr Lucy Moore, Associate Curator of Numismatic and Object Collections (Cultural Collections and Galleries, University of Leeds Libraries), to explore digital interventions with the University of Leeds coin collection, focussing in particular on the Winchester Coin Cabinet. This project has included a digital animation and exhibition, a practice-based collaboration involving students from the School of Performance and Cultural Industries and, at present, a case study demonstrating how two different aspects of Cultural Collection’s digitisation work can enable improved access and understanding of numismatic materials: IIIF (a standard for sharing images, including a much deeper zoom) and IMMARKUS (an image annotation tool).

Qualifications

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

Professional memberships

• Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal (TRAJ) Editorial Board Member
• BA Early Career Researcher Network
• UKRI Early Career Researcher Forum member
• The Roman Society
• The Classical Association
• Women's Classical Committee UK
• OCR Classics Consultative Forum

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 Classical Archaeology, the Latin language, Latin Literature, and Greek history, culture and archaeology during my times at Leeds. 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 am currently the Academic Lead for Assessment and Feedback in 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, culture 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 Fellow 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, won a Faculty Partnership Award for Academic Personal Tutoring in 2021 and again for Assessment and Feedback in 2025. In other academic years, I have been nominated for awards in: Postgraduate Teaching; Community Impact and Innovation; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Student Education and Experience; Personal Tutoring, PhD Thesis/Dissertation Supervision; Wellbeing; and Inspirational Teaching / Teacher of the Year.

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

Current postgraduate researchers

• Ronnais Lloyd