Impact

The Classics Department is committed to producing excellent research which brings benefits to society worldwide, especially in the areas of recognition and appreciation of the legacy of ancient art from Greece and Rome and their neighbours and making new art in dialogue with it, and in promoting understanding of heritage issues and providing practical training and support for the conservation, curation and display of the material remains of the ancient world.

Our three impact case studies for REF 2021 included the repatriation to Iran of an Achaemenid bas-relief fragment illictly taken from Persepolis in 1936, a project and exhibition which drew dramatic attention to the interconnections between ancient and modern art, and training of heritage professionals in Tunisia and Libya along with stimulating modern mosaic-making in the UK. Together they were ranked as predominantly ‘world leading’ (83% at 4*), the highest grade. The review panel particularly noted the breadth of our impacts on national and international curatorial policy and practice, international heritage diplomacy, creative practice and public perception.

The Return of a Wandering Guard

On 4 September 2018 a bas-relief fragment depicting a palace guard of the Achaemenid kings, illicitly taken from Persepolis in 1936, was returned by the District Attorney of New York to the Iranian government. This was the primary impact of Dr Lindsay Allen’s innovative research into the modern removal of architectural fragments from the site of Persepolis because her research provided the catalyst and evidence for the legal proceedings. This landmark event, the first repatriation of an antiquity stolen from Persepolis, was hailed with popular acclaim in Iran. Amplified by media coverage of the court case and repatriation of the relief, Allen’s research has had two ripple impacts: first, she has stimulated new curatorial interest in museums worldwide in scrutinising the provenance of their Achaemenid artefacts; second, she has given Iranian cultural heritage management an impetus to document both looted and surviving fragments of the site of Persepolis.

Forging New Connections Between Ancient & Modern Art

This case study derives from the research of Professor Michael Squire (now at Cambridge University) into the legacy of Graeco-Roman visual culture. Research led by him had championed the interconnections between ancient and modern art. From 2015 onwards, Squire directed a collaborative research project called Modern Classicisms: the result was a major exhibition, The Classical Now, at King’s College Londonin spring 2018, which juxtaposed ancient objects with modern and contemporary works. His research has benefited artists - with associated economic gains for them - by generating new creative practices and collaborative partnerships. By changing curatorial interpretation and methods of public engagement, the insights from his research have benefited museum professionals. The research has also facilitated a broader transformation in public perceptions of ‘ancient’ and ‘modern’ art with a wide range of associated social and cultural benefits.

Conserving Classical Cultural Heritage and Making Roman Art

Two main types of impact have resulted from the research of Dr Will Wootton, which propose a new integrated approach to the study, care and appreciation of ancient artefacts and archaeological sites. First, archaeological sites in Libya and Tunisia are better safeguarded and conserved because of changes to the management practices of local heritage professionals, including proactive engagement of local communities, in response to research-led training from Wootton. Second, through initiatives informed by his research, Wootton has boosted the resources and prospects of the craft community of UK mosaicists, by founding the London School of Mosaic; more generally he has engaged public interest in ancient making. Wootton’s longstanding cross-disciplinary research draws on his practical experience as a professional mosaicist and brings together the skills of archaeologists, conservators, craftspeople and heritage professionals.