Impact case study database

Globally, fallow deer populations are simultaneously considered to be domestic and translocated, feral and invasive, wild and endangered, locally extinct and subject to rewilding campaigns. This patchwork of understanding and research oversight of the biocultural significance of this species, meant there was little comprehension of how this species came to occupy a wide range of environmental and cultural niches. UoN-led research has addressed this, with outcomes that have shaped conservation policies, changed deer management practices and built sustainable capacity for a wider understanding of the cultural significance of this species around the world.

1. Shape deer management and conservation policies

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List is globally recognised as the most authoritative guide on the status of biological diversity, compiling threats to species, their ecological distribution and requirements, and information on conservation actions that should be taken to reduce risk of extinction. It is consulted by governments, organisations, and individuals to understand and mitigate conservation issues. When updating the Red List entry for Persian fallow deer in 2015, the IUCN executive approached researchers on UoN-led fallow deer projects ( Daujat and Baker) to contribute to the international guidance on extant but endangered populations in Israel and Iran. 20% of the current (2015) Red List entry has changed from the preceding (2013) entry in areas such as Geographic Range, Threats and Population, directly reflecting input drawn from our research [A].

In Barbuda, where fallow deer are a source of pride and national identity, the effects of Hurricane Irma significantly threatened translocated populations of the species. UoN research (6) was used by the director of NGO Barbuda Research Complex, to inform the deer preservation and conservation work on the island [B]. As the Director noted: “ The research is the only existing scientific information on the Barbuda fallow deer and in this regard it presents an invaluable resource for the conservation effort, given that the deer is facing extinction… we are now working towards embedding these findings into policy recommendations for Barbuda’s government… the findings are providing valuable input to influence governmental priorities regarding the preservation of deer” [B].

In Britain, the team used findings from our research to change the decision-making practices of organisations and individuals who manage deer. These engagements occurred through 25 talks to special interest groups, such as the British Deer Society, the Deer Initiative, the Ministry of Defence, the Small Woods Association and the National Trust and independent deer managers. Individual events regularly attracted up to 50 people. Leading Deer Welfare Specialist, who consults with all of these groups, and provides veterinary services to c.5000 deer on deer parks and farms in the UK, explained how the research affected this change in practice in three important ways [C]:

1) Refined the culling strategies of deer managers and deer park keepers through the application of the new method for ageing fallow deer developed by the Dama International team (7), ensuring that herd size is managed through informed decision making.

2) Informed new clinical understandings of bovine tuberculosis in fallow deer for deer managers, park keepers and vets, through this more accurate ageing of infected individuals (7), which “will help to protect and care for the herds better but also contribute to minimising the negative financial impact of TB in deer populations”.

3) Enabled veterinary professionals to persuade deer managers and park keepers to recognise the importance of out-breeding [C, Dii], by challenging pre-conceived notions that fallow deer across the UK are genetically identical (1); in turn this minimises the health risks associated with closed herds including “reduced fertility and/or increased neonatal mortality…. reduced immunocompetence and … [increased] susceptibility to parasitism and disease”.

In 2018, Miller provided evidence to the City of London’s Epping Forest and Buffer Lands Deer Management Review [Di]. The results have informed 20-year policy and guidance for the management of c.700 fallow deer inhabiting the 7942-acre site [Dii], visited by 4.2 million annually. Head Keeper and Constable, notes that the City of London Corporation “turned to Dr Miller of the Dama International Project for up-to-date research in overhauling…policies. The tender specified that the research outcomes of the Dama International Project were to be considered in the review” [Diii]. Our research highlighted the cultural significance (3, 4) of the forest deer, underpinning all resulting policy to maintain the presence of fallow deer at the site (in contrast to Muntjac populations) [Dii]. An important finding of the research was to confirm that the Birch Hall Sanctuary population is not genetically unique (1), thereby changing the relative status of these deer and the policies by which they are managed by their keepers [Dii].

1. Create, and stimulate others in the creation of, interdisciplinary educational resources

In 2014, UoN Dama International researchers were invited to partner with Fishbourne Roman Palace (2) and Dudley Castle Museum (3) to create major new exhibitions for the independent heritage venues. Both exhibitions had significant reach: the Curator of Fishbourne Roman Palace noted that 30,000 attended the exhibition between September 2014 and March 2015. Feedback from the Palace noted the interdisciplinary nature of the exhibition, including archaeological science and natural history, which enabled them to reach new audiences by departing from their usual stories of Roman architecture [E]. Directly inspired by her visit to the Fishbourne exhibition, author Caroline Lawrence set elements of her children’s book The Romans Quest: Escape From Rome (2016) at the site, with reference to fallow deer in the text and explanatory notes [F]. “Your exhibition convincingly argued that fallow deer were introduced by the Romans to the UK for the first time right there at Fishbourne. This was something I was not aware of before… and actually inspired aspects of my novel.” Escape from Rome has [text redacted] and c.27 schools are using it as a class reader for Key Stage 2 [Fii].

Another independent volume that draws heavily on UoN fallow deer research is Dan Eatherley’s Invasive Aliens (2019), which has sold 3115 copies internationally and was a Sunday Times, Telegraph and Waterstones Book of the Year. The author notes [G]: “ In the Dama International Project research I found a species that was particularly emblematic, serving to highlight many of the crucial themes that characterise human relationships with transported species… The research thus helped me appreciate and convey to my readers the complexity of the history of human animal relationships and the circumstances and consequences of introducing new species, not just the fallow deer, but also other species discussed in my book.”

Between 2013 and 2016, the National Trust invited UoN researchers to develop a series of ‘deer unmaking’ events, accompanied by a resource booklet created by the team, centred on the history of ritualised Medieval hunting. These events have been characterised as “provocative, perception challenging and engaging” by National Trust’s Consultancy Manager [H]. They raised wider public awareness of the cultural role of fallow deer at historic houses and changed public perception of the role of hunting: Hall notes that this is *“now part of the Trust’s narrative at sites with a historical connection to fallow deer,*” [H], examples include Studley Royal (Yorks), Charlecote (War), Calke Abbey (Derbs), Lyme Park (Ches), Holnicote Estate (Som), Dyrham Park (Glos), Knole (Kent), Dunwick Heath (Suff), Hatfield Forest (Essex) and Powis Castle in Wales.

Rollout of educational resources at Epping Forest (June 2020, **[Diii]**) and Barbuda (July 2020, **[B]**) have been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions (COVID statement).

1. Transform awareness of the significance of fallow deer for heritage and environment sector practitioners

As a result of UoN-led research, the team built capacity amongst heritage and environment sector workers to raise wider public awareness of the fallow deer they managed in provocative and engaging ways, changing the outlook of the practitioners to this species, and therefore the information and interpretation that is presented to the public across a number of sites important to environmental and cultural heritage across the UK [D, E, H]:

The impact at Fishbourne Roman Palace included changing the way that curators, staff, and volunteers view the site, engage the public, and approach research with other Higher Education Institutions. Head Curator noted: “the story [of the Fishbourne fallow deer] (2) has been embraced by all of our staff here and is now as central to our visitor interpretation as the story of the building and our mosaics. It has also changed staff attitudes towards research at the Palace – the overwhelming feeling now being that research is interesting, relevant and worthwhile – this has led to a desire within the organisation to engage with other projects in the future” [E].

At the National Trust, our research has been embedded in the training of the staff delivering property tours. For example, at Belton House (Lincs) which receives c.400,000 visitors annually, 60 staff and 300 volunteers now include information on the patching of the knuckle bone floor with fallow deer remains from the herd at the site (4) into their engagements with the public, along with wider research findings (7). Deer managers at the site have also used the research to inform their walks, which take place four times a year with c.20 members of the public, meaning that some 480 people have been exposed to a perception of fallow deer that has been changed by the research [H]. Across the National Trust properties with deer management teams, the team trained stalkers in Medieval ‘unmaking’ techniques (U3), which they have gone on to use as part of their deer management and educational programme. The National Trust notes: “Medieval-style ‘Deer Unmakings’ at the properties has helped to promote a ‘plot to plate’ approach to the annual cull and venison sales. Since the work of the Dama International Project, the estate has embraced the product as firmly marketed ‘Belton Venison’ where previously there was more circumspection in terms of the origins of our menu offering,” [H]. Similar planned work at Epping Forest with environment sector professionals by Miller in 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions (COVID statement).

As a result of these changes, the Dama International project was identified by the AHRC as an outstanding example of impact and showcased it in their 10th Anniversary publication [I] where it is highlighted that “ An AHRC project has overturned earlier theories about the origins of a much-loved species… the project team have been working with the British Deer Society, the National Trust and inner-city schools to highlight the cultural significance of the fallow deer herds as well as the need to manage the populations — several National Trust properties are now selling fallow deer venison in their gift shops and cafes.”

There are over 2000 community archaeology groups in the UK alone and more than 40% have had some contact with universities. However, existing scholarship on community archaeology highlights the often-unequal relationships between academics and volunteer archaeologists ( 3.1). The UoN research at Caistor and Southwell directly addresses this, creating a model for community archaeology in which the role of volunteers is changed from that of participants to that of drivers of project development and genuine co-producers of new knowledge. This has directly resulted in thriving community groups that are both successful and sustainable and has further resulted in six linked strands of impact:

1. Creation of sustainable grass-roots heritage organizations - The UoN research projects at Caistor and Southwell supported by local and national funders (including the British Academy, AHRC and English Heritage) led to the formal establishment of community archaeology groups as charitable bodies (CRP and SCAG) in which Bowden has a formal trustee role ( A, B) ( 3.1). CRP developed directly through Bowden’s research project at Caistor, with Bowden noted as “ instrumental in establishing a community archaeology group” ( A), while SCAG developed initially as a community group responding to the threat of development on the site of the town’s Roman villa (aided by Bowden), before beginning to undertake fieldwork (in collaboration with King) ( B). Both groups now function as fully independent bodies able to raise funds to support training and research projects in their own right. CRP’s chair notes “we have been able to increasingly take on the management and planning of vital research activities’ ( A). Current memberships standing at 110 (CRP) and 50 (SCAG). Since August 2013 CRP have raised over £115K, including three HLF/NHLF grants ( E 9, 20, I), while SCAG have raised over £50K (including two HLF grants), becoming a charitable incorporated group in 2015 (B). This has allowed the groups to develop and sustain significant programmes of research that also provide the framework for training members in excavation and recording techniques and outreach activity ( E). These projects are community-led, with ongoing support by UoN staff members in fundraising, delivery and publication. To provide long-term sustainability both groups maintain physical premises for finds processing, storage, workshops and training, without which ongoing community archaeology would not be possible. Both groups also run trips and host programmes of talks, which along with post-excavation work ensure year-round activity for members and allow participation for those physically unable to undertake active fieldwork. The importance of such remote participation was recognised in 2020 with a successful bid for NHLF Heritage Emergency funds to redevelop CRP’s website to maintain the group’s online activities in the pandemic and beyond ( J).

2. Co-production of research - The community groups’ activities (encompassing excavation, geophysics, building recording, and field survey) have created significant research data. The agendas for this research develop and respond to those of the original UoN projects, notably relating to the extra-mural landscape and post-Roman period at Caistor ( 3.4, 3.5, 3.6) and the Roman villa and medieval built environment at Southwell ( 3.2, 3.3). Research questions are established collaboratively with participation of UoN staff, enabling the work to be situated within national and international scholarly and methodological frameworks. Key examples include SCAG’s survey of Southwell’s medieval and post-medieval vernacular buildings (G) and excavations and surveys of Roman and medieval remains at Vicars Court, and CRP’s investigations of Roman and post-Roman extra-mural sites including the Roman town ditches and extra-mural temple (I, J). Historic England note that CRP have “ *played an important role in advancing wider understanding of the extensive archaeological landscape at and around Venta Icenorum (which is one of the most significant Roman-period heritage assets in the East of England)*” ( D). SCAG also successfully applied for funding from the Thoroton Society for professional support to further their study of the rare Tudor wall-paintings in the Saracen’s Head hotel, the importance of which was highlighted by SCAG’s buildings study ( B).

The work of both CRP and SCAG has fed directly into the Historic Environment Record (HER) (the national record of the historic landscape) and updates on work have appeared in journals such as Britannia and the Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire, demonstrating the groups’ abilities to produce and contribute to academic outputs. The importance of co-production is acknowledged by all participants, with SCAG’s chair commenting that the “ non-patronising approach to partnership working … is to be celebrated and in no small part emanates from the group’s confident engagement with the University” ( B).

3. Training and community empowerment - Equipping the volunteer communities with new skills and providing valuable personal and professional experience have been transformative for those involved. CRP members (currently 110) have been trained in all aspects of the archaeological process from project design to report-writing ( E, 4-5, 16, I). For SCAG, training and project development fostered by King under the AHRC Connected Communities project, Writing Our History, Digging Our Past (created to build capacity for community heritage), led directly to the group’s applications for HLF funding ( B). In addition, King’s successful application for an English Heritage Early Fabric in Historic Towns grant enabled SCAG to be provided with training in building recording by specialists from Trent and Peak Archaeology, resulting in a reconnaissance survey of the town centre and in-depth recording of 20+ buildings by the group ( G).

Within CRP, volunteers of diverse backgrounds have taken on trustee and leadership roles within the group, driving activities such as educational outreach with schools and fundraising as well as archaeological research ( E, I, 6, 7). One volunteer (a former builder) is now working as a professional archaeologist ( I, 2), while another completed her PhD on Roman artefacts at Nottingham in 2018. Having volunteers playing such leadership roles challenges the implicit hierarchies in the profession and ensures the long-term viability of the groups. Testimonies from volunteers evidence the value of new skills and confidence gained attested by one CRP member who notes “ I have acquired many archaeological skills and this year … I learned a great deal about looking after and recording a large trench. But what I love most of all is the camaraderie” ( E, 20). This last aspect emphasises the wider social value of such involvement, evidenced particularly during the first 2020 lockdown in which CRP volunteers created a daily newsletter and online activities to combat isolation among the group members.

4. Sharing of best practice for community archaeology - The work of CRP has inspired the development of new community initiatives at other major sites in Norfolk and the adoption of improved fieldwork practice within existing groups. The director of the Norfolk Archaeological Trust (NAT), who own the Roman town, notes that “ CRP volunteers played an integral part in NAT’s delivery of a recent NLHF project, ‘Imagined Land’ through mentoring members of the public who took part in test-pit programmes at two of NAT’s other sites, Tasburgh Enclosure, and Burnham Norton Friary” ( H). CRP volunteers also worked with American Veterans for Archaeological Recovery at Dickleburgh in Norfolk, which uses archaeology in the recuperation of injured service personnel and veterans ( E, 35) and had planned activities (delayed by Covid 19) with Operation Nightingale, the similar initiative by the Ministry of Defence. Similarly, SCAG (helped by King) provided practical demonstrations for CRP members of standing building survey techniques, which subsequently developed into a significant strand in CRP’s work following the SCAG format ( E, 41). Through the Connected Communities project SCAG’s chair was funded by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement to share the group’s experience at the Living Knowledge 6 Copenhagen Conference where he “ was able to share … project experience with an international audience and gain valuable insights into the practices of other groups” ( B). The work of CRP and SCAG’s volunteers also thereby enhances the capacity of an increasingly stretched professional heritage sector to deliver training in basic archaeological methodologies.

5. Improved management of nationally significant sites - The work of CRP and SCAG, in collaboration with UoN, informs ongoing conservation, heritage management and visitor interpretation and engagement strategies for these locally and nationally significant archaeological sites. The groups work with local government bodies (South Norfolk Council, Southwell Town Council, Norfolk and Nottinghamshire’s Historic Environment Service), local heritage organizations (e.g. Norfolk Archaeological Trust, Norfolk Museums Service, the Southwell Civic Society and the Southwell Heritage Trust) and national bodies such as Historic England to ensure maximum impact of research findings and public engagement. CRP’s 2016 geophysical survey led to a major expansion of the Scheduled Monument at Caistor by Historic England, ensuring enhanced protection from heritage crime and mechanized agriculture, while work at an extra-mural temple in 2018-19 added significant new data to another Scheduled Monument providing key information for future management ( D). Historic England state that CRP’s “local communication and advocacy of the site has been of considerable benefit to us in that they are able to demonstrate the importance of the archaeology and its value at a peer-to-peer level” ( D). SCAG members have played an active role in Local Neighbourhood plans, most recently in debates about the archaeological impact of proposed flood mitigation measures in the town ( B). Finally, SCAG and Bowden campaigned to raise public awareness of the significance of Southwell’s Roman villa, which was under threat from development. This directly resulted in the development site being purchased by a benefactor in 2015 at an estimated cost of £2 million and presented to the Chapter of Southwell Minster for use for educational, conservation and cultural purposes ( C). SCAG members and Bowden now sit on a working group tasked with developing the site’s use as a cultural resource for Southwell. SCAG’s chair notes that “ Professor Bowden’s support for the group in constructing the argument for the national heritage value of the site’s Roman villa, was a key element in the eventual securing of the site’s long-term future and protection from development” ( B).

6. Enhanced public understanding of heritage - The activities of Bowden and King with the two groups have involved extensive outreach both within local communities and for the wider body national and international public visitors. This has resulted in the development of new visitor engagement projects including the writing of a new guidebook ( F) and installation of new display panels at Caistor funded by Natural England, VR apps supported by Natural England and the AHRC ( H), popular publications on Southwell’s vernacular architecture ( G) and the site of Southwell’s Burgage, and interpretation panels for Southwell’s Roman villa. CRP’s and SCAG’s method (mentored by UoN staff) of excavating test-pits in gardens have also provided a tangible means by which the public can engage with the heritage on their doorstep and both groups have gained new members through this ( I, 1-2, 3. The work of CRP has featured prominently in national publications such as British Archaeology and Current Archaeology and both groups receive frequent coverage in local print and broadcast media (I). Caistor’s owners (NAT) acknowledge that “ the volunteer support provided by CRP is invaluable, providing effective outreach to our visitors and to educational institutions which NAT could not otherwise provide” ( H).

Volunteers now regularly deliver public talks for other archaeological groups, lead guided walks at Caistor and Southwell, offer workshops, run events for local schools and organizations such as the Young Archaeologists Club and regularly deliver activities for events such as Heritage Open Days, Norwich Science Festival, and the Festival of Archaeology ( E, 17, 41). 12 CRP members have been professionally trained as School Facilitators and run archaeology activities for primary school children from 3 schools from Years 2-6 ( E, 29, 46). These have proved popular with one teacher commenting that “ our visit to Caistor and having the team coming into our school brought an extra dimension to our Roman unit. The team were knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining and the activities stimulated great discussions among our pupils”.

This public outreach by members both informs the public but also delivers benefits to members themselves. One CRP member said “ I particularly enjoyed speaking to visiting members of the public during our open afternoon and re-discovered something of my long-lost confidence – never be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and take on a new challenge” ( E, 20). Group members thus not only participate in fieldwork but also help to shape the narratives through which a wider public gain their understanding of the past.

In summary, Bowden and King’s work demonstrates that academics can help empower local communities to take ownership of archaeological research and bring their history to life in an engaging, authentic and meaningful way.

The impact of this ICS has four strands:

1. Influencing heritage policies and decision-making in the modern city of Sparti

Despite being the site of one of the two most important city-states of Classical Greece, Sparti is not a popular tourist destination because its limited physical remains allow little engagement with its glorious past. The Centre’s revisionist findings regarding cultural continuity from pre-classical Sparta and Laconia ( 3.1-2), militarism ( 3.3-4), misappropriation and distortion in Sparta’s popular representations ( 3.5, 3.7) have had a profound shaping influence on the City of Sparti’s strategic vision concerning heritage policies and management. As the Mayor of Sparti testifies, these have transformed the Municipality’s decision to increase heritage infrastructure “ as a heritage resource and an income generator” ( A). The transformation of the Municipality’s strategy occurred at multiple levels. Starting in 2019, consultancy by the Centre led to a strategic partnership that helped the Municipality to “ identify new aspects of Sparta’s ancient history to focus on in our public engagement” ( 3.1). Between May and November 2020, the joint organisation of the ‘Sparta Live!’ lecture series of 14 webinars, in partnership with the UK Embassy to Greece and with the participation of key historical fiction writers, graphic novelists, publishers and academics, empowered the Municipality to participate in, manage and steer the public debate around its history and heritage, something unseen elsewhere in Greece, and “ to carefully and consciously position ourselves in relation to rife misappropriations of Sparta’s heritage” ( cf. 3.4-5, 3.7). Mitigating against these negative consequences is vital for how locals view their past and cultural heritage and important to the Municipality in how it counters the city’s image as isolationist. Through the series, which attracted large audiences (1410+ individual logins some of which representing school classes, households and associations) spanning 22 countries and five continents, the City gained international reputational benefits and cultural world attention ( A).

In 2020, the City of Sparti signed a MoU with the UoN ( B), becoming the first Greek municipality to establish a formal relationship with a foreign university with the aim of improving and promoting local heritage protection and marketing. This partnership sets a precedent in the Greek tourism context. The Centre’s academic research, outreach activities and consultancy has had a major influence on the City’s decision to set up a History, Archaeology and Heritage Community Centre to responsibly curate and promote Spartan heritage locally and globally ( A). The setting up of the Community Centre has been delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but a concrete programme of activities (including continuing education and professional training in experimental archaeology, summer schools, tourist summer camps, heritage guides and marketing material) impacted by UoN research, has been prepared and a decision has been made to allocate a separate building in the city to host the Centre and provide space for engagement activities. The Mayor of Sparti (also ex-Deputy Minister of Finance in Greece) stresses the Community Centre’s major importance as an “ income generator… at a time when national and EU opportunities for cultural heritage funding are facing serious cuts, and as a result local communities struggle to make most of their heritage resources” ( A).

1. Transforming secondary school teaching and learning in Australia and the UK

Hodkinson’s research ( 3.3-6) and delivery of new teaching resources have significantly impacted on secondary education in the UK (from August 2013) and Australia (from 2015), countering popular misconceptions and misappropriations within the world’s two major courses on Sparta: (1) in the UK, the OCR AS/A-level unit, Politics and Society of Sparta, taken by 1,000+ students p.a. in the Classics AS/A-level (August 2013 until 2017); and 1426 students in the new Ancient History A-Level (since 2017) ( C1); (2) the Spartan Society unit in the New South Wales (NSW, Australia) Higher School Certificate taken by 3,000 students p.a. ( D1, D2).

In the UK Hodkinson’s work has significantly influenced learning resources for the new Ancient History A-level’s Sparta ‘depth study’. His reader’s comments on the Sparta chapters in the OCR/Bloomsbury course textbook led to 72 changes ( C2). “ His peer review helped ensure the component represented reliable, accurate and up-to-date analysis” (Bloomsbury Senior Commissioning Editor) ( C3). An OCR examiner and teacher of QMC, Basingstoke states, the precision of the information on Sparta at war ( 3.3) “ has been very useful…to confirm/build on [students’] understanding of source evaluation” ( C4). As advisor to the depth study’s sourcebook, LACTOR 21 Sparta, Hodkinson’s advice was “ instrumental in forming the structure of the volume” (Preface; C5). Hodkinson’s impact on the book and therefore on teaching of Sparta in UK schools consisted in improving the selection and interpretation of sources, as the sourcebook editor states ( C6). A teacher of QMC, Basingstoke states, “ it has helped [students’] confidence and security in understanding a complex topic” ( C4). As the first-ever Sparta sourcebook, it is also used internationally at both secondary and tertiary levels, with 821 sales to July 2020, including 570 in N. America - one copy is often used by a number of students/teachers ( C7).

In NSW, which in numerical sense is the area with the largest student numbers in the ‘Spartan Society’ unit in Australia, Hodkinson’s publications and teaching resources have transformed teaching and student learning ( D2): “ I have been using [his] research to provide myself with a university level understanding of Spartan society…The average achieved in the HSC exam…is significantly higher than the rest of the state…a result of [his] thorough research”’ (teacher, NBSC Balgowlah Boys); [His research] is valuable in enabling students to explore more deeply some of the long-standing generalisations and distortions (the so-called Spartan Mirage) that have characterised Spartan scholarship for so many years” (Immediate Past President, NSW History Teacher’s Association) ( D1). His ‘Transforming Sparta’ article (published March 2015) ( D3), commissioned for the HSC syllabus by the Macquarie journal Ancient History: Resources for Teachers, has met a particular need for an accessible revisionist account of Sparta “ as a means of engaging students and teaching them to think critically” (teacher, Ascham School) and to gain “ a wider understanding of the different perspectives and approaches” (student, Shore Grammar School) ( D2). His publications are recommended by the President of the NSW Professional Teachers' Council ( D4) and frequently cited in the NSW History Teachers Association study days ( D5). One ( 3.6) was selected for quotation in the Catholic Secondary Schools Association’s August 2017 practice Ancient History exam, sat by 4,200 students across the sector, for “ framing an explicitly historical question in language accessible to 17-18-year-old students” (Exam Convenor) ( D6).

3. Transforming teaching and learning in HEIs worldwide

Within HE, Hodkinson’s revisionist research has transformed teaching and learning on Sparta globally, influencing curriculum content and enhancing student learning. Evidence of its influence since August 2013 has been received from 27 HEIs ( E) spanning 5 continents and 16 countries. To quote one Virginia academic, “ his writings have had a revolutionary effect…on the teaching of all responsible scholars in North America” and one from Nanjing, “ In China… his publications…have influenced these scholars’ research and their teaching”.

Several academics testify how his research has influenced the design and content of curricula in Classics: “ Both of my courses on Sparta are informed and inspired by [his] many publications” (Edinburgh); it “ shaped the design of the course as a whole” (Dartmouth); “ heavily influenced the way I teach Ancient Greek History” (Trento). Similar comments were received from teachers from other HEIs such as Corfu and Trinity College Dublin. And beyond Classics: “ your publications have been very important for my recent updating of the course on Political Anthropology” (Russian State University).

HEI teachers highlight the major influence of Hodkinson’s own writings and his edited books (cf. 3.3-6) on student tutoring and learning as “ an important pedagogic tool” (Winnipeg): “ the way you have made your own and other scholars’ work so easily accessible has been a great help in tutoring students at various levels” (Bergen); “[His] publications have helped my students think more critically about the ways in which information can be extracted from ancient sources” (Reading). Similar comments have been received from Aalborg, Leicester and Corfu. PhD students have remarked on how “ pivotal for the aims of [their] studies” (Napoli) his work has been; “[it] gave me some clues to read more critically the papers and books of modern scholars” (Madrid). At Nanjing, the impact of Sparta in Modern Thought ( 3.5) extended beyond the curriculum as it was selected for discussion by the graduate student reading group in World History in 2014.

One innovative influence is the pedagogic impact of the graphic novel *Three for which Hodkinson was historical consultant (see 4a below), providing “ a model for how scholarly work can be presented…in a compelling fashion” (Dartmouth). Testimonies from academics highlight Three’s significant impact on student learning: “ wonderfully effective as a counter to the more troubling depictions that [students] encounter in Frank Miller's 300’” (Christopher Newport); “ the many realistic details gave [the students] a more concrete feeling for the milieu” (Colorado); used it “ to flex their critical muscles” (San Diego).

1. Shaping public perceptions through popular and mass media

The Centre’s influence on diverse popular and mass media has shaped public perceptions of Sparta, generally dominated by an oversimplistic emphasis on a heroised Spartan militarism. It has done so both by promoting an appreciation of historical complexity, by engaging with creators to influence popular culture representations and by exposing readers to varying and revisionist stories about Sparta ( 3.3-7).

1. Post publication impact of consultancy for Kieron Gillen’s graphic novel, Three

Three, a graphic novel set in 4^th c. BC Sparta, for which Hodkinson was academic consultant, was published in serial form in October 2013-February 2014 and in a collected trade edition in April 2014. Its back matter includes a ‘Conversation’ between Gillen and Hodkinson. The trade edition has gone into a second printing. A Greek edition was published in November 2019. It has been a success with readers receiving a strong 8.4/10 review score on ComicBookRoundup ( F). Both editions have received positive reviews ( G). Three’s historical accuracy is highlighted by comics industry critics (“ an ideal example of an absolutely professional work that harmoniously balances between imagination and fiction on the one hand and accuracy on the other”, EfSyn). Its revisionist take on Sparta, grounded in Hodkinson’s research ( cf. 3.3-4, 3.6), has had a strong impact on readers, countering the normal excessive focus on martial prowess and neglect of helot agency. It has also become an alternative reference point to ‘300’, which presents an idealised militaristic Sparta that ignores aspects of the historical record that undermine that image, such as the Spartan economy’s reliance on, and domination of, helotage, thus “ telling a more nuanced story of what life in Sparta was like” (Matthew, GoodReads) and showing “the slavery that enabled the freedom of the Spartans”’ (Loki, GoodReads). Reviews also show how Three has expanded readers’ knowledge of Sparta and of academic research: “ If there’s anything that your work changed in me is a new fondness and respect for extreme research for art’s sake” (FernanAyuso’s message to Gillen). They also benefited from the ‘Conversation’ section : “ my understanding of Three and Spartan history was changed and enhanced by the academic discussion published at the back”.

The impacts were augmented through talks to practitioners and public audiences by Hodkinson and Gillen, and by Fotheringham ( 3.5, 3.7). Practitioners at ComicsForum2014 and AthensCon2019 applauded the innovation brought to their field through the academic consultancy on Three and its benefits to improving industry perceptions of Sparta: “ historical research has had a positive impact on the representation of Sparta”. Reader feedback valued how academic research contributed “ a sense of clarity, detail and plausibility” and how it “ set problems for the story, but in solving them, made the work stronger and richer”. Feedback also showed that Three and the talks were a transformational ‘Sparta 101’: “ I knew the bare minimum about Sparta before reading ‘Three’’; “Honestly hadn’t heard of Helots before – and I did a history degree”; “ A far better understanding of the slavery system in Sparta” ( G).

Finally, Hodkinson’s consultancy had a significant impact on Gillen’s career trajectory, giving him first-hand mentoring in the historical skills needed for his next project, his hit series The Wicked & the Divine, covering 6000 years of cultural history. “ While fiction is not history, I try and bring that complexity to my thinking about a period…All of that was born of my engagement with Stephen Hodkinson’s research during our collaboration on Three”( F)

1. Countering misappropriations of Sparta by hate groups online

The Centre’s research played a key role in the success of the November 2017 launch of the U.S. website Pharos: Doing Justice to the Classics at Vassar College, which documents and responds to appropriations of Greece and Rome by hate groups online. Pharos’ first three posts focused on the use of Spartan military symbols by Alt-right protestors. Hodkinson and Fotheringham contributed their views to the second post, Scholars Respond, “ most of which”, to quote Pharos’ Director , “is derived from the work of you and your collaborators at the [Centre]” ( 3.3-5, 3.7) ( H). Hodkinson’s feedback on the draft post “ saved [the website] from many errors and mischaracterizations”. The third post, This is not Sparta, cited Hodkinson’s “ more balanced readings” of the role of the military in Spartan culture ( 3.3); and a fourth, September 2018, post on The Oath Keepers ‘Spartan training program’ cited his challenge to the authenticity of Leonidas’ alleged ‘MOLON LABE’ response to Xerxes at Thermopylae ( 3.3). Both the second and third posts also cited the graphic novel Three (see 4a above) as a work “ which should be required reading for any fan of Snyder’s fllm [ 300]”. Site analytics show the international reach of Pharos’ Sparta posts. Within two weeks of its launch, the site had been visited over 5,000 times by users from 48 countries. By July 2020, the Sparta posts that and Fotheringham consulted on had 4,663 views, ranking them “ among the most visited on the site” ( I).