HLC Project Proposals
See below for a list of potential project proposals that would be overseen by academics in the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures.
If you have any queries or are interested in one of these proposed projects, please contact the Faculty PGR Team at hsspgr@liverpool.ac.uk in the first instance. Click here to visit the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures Research information pages.
Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
Resonating Bodies: anatomical votives and incubation rituals in the Asclepieion of Pergamum
Made from terracotta, stone, metal and wood, arms, legs, eyes, fingers, hands, feet, uteri, genitals, internal organs and other recognisable parts of the body were found at some of the most well-known healing sanctuaries of the Greco-Roman world. Bodily fragments offered to the gods at sanctuaries, temples, shrines and other sacred sites across the ancient Mediterranean have been studied independently in several contexts. However, despite widespread academic and popular interest in this material, the category of “anatomical votive” remains distinctly under-examined. This Ph.D. project is centred on definitional and interpretative issues related to anatomical votives from the temple complex of Asclepius in Pergamum. The project focusses on the second century AD, but comparanda of earlier or later date are welcome. The Ph.D. candidate will endeavour to rediscover and re-examine definitional and interpretative issues related to votives shaped like anatomical members from the temple complex of Asclepius in Pergamum.
Georgia Petridou; The Body Research Group
Resonating Mysteries in the Second Sophistic. An exploration of the mysteric language and iconography in Lucian’s Alexander the Pseudo-Prophet and Galen’s On the Usefulness of the Parts
This Ph.D. project sets out to unravel the ways the body and healing rituals were conceived in the second century CE and revisit these connections through a resonance-focused spectrum. The main aim is to move beyond prevalent ideas about the “Greek miracle” and the juxtaposition of rational and irrational medicine and explore the recurrent presence of a new kind of physiology, a conception of a body that is both ritually experienced and expressed. The Ph.D. project intentionally brings together two literary genres that have traditionally been kept apart: medical writings and biographical writings with distinct polemical overtones. The student is encouraged to consider carefully why religious imagery and terminology drawn from mystery cults were employed to describe bodily knowledge in these two narratives dating roughly to the second century AD. By way of comparative work, the Ph.D. candidate will engage in an in-depth linguistic analysis of the two texts.
Georgia Petridou; The Body Research Group
Decrees in ancient Greek historical texts: real, false, and reconstructed
The historiographical sources for the history of ancient Greece contain many allusions to, or summaries or direct citations of, decrees and other documents that are presented as Acts of State. Ostensibly, they were enacted by one or other of the hundreds of polities that had taken root throughout Greece, the Aegean, and the wider Mediterranean in the first millennium BCE. As documents transmitted indirectly (mostly via the mediaeval manuscript tradition), each one requires an assessment of the level of its authenticity and trustworthiness. Over the years, I have made a collection of basic notifications of them all, and still occasionally come across another example. The challenge is to create a reliable model of the emergence of these ‘documents’, and if possible, to identify their ‘initial sources’. The task will require the acquisition of a detailed knowledge of the history of ancient Greek historiography and its texts, both extant and lost.
John Davies; Literary Cultures of the Ancient World Research Group
Synthesis of professional archaeological research and generative artificial intelligence in England
Synthesis has been identified by both CIfA and Historic England as one of the major challenges facing archaeology in the 21st Century. Developer-funded archaeological investigations rely on an informed brief written by curators in local planning authorities. The writing of an informed brief relies on an ongoing and effective synthesis of findings from previous research. Moreover, the public perception of such archaeology relies on the generation of new narratives of the past and a developing Sense and Quality of Place. Previous approaches have relied on regional archaeological communities creating local research agendas. The reading and synthesis of such materials by a small group of archaeologists is impossible. The development of Generative Artificial Intelligence offers another route into the generation of synthesis but needs careful investigation into its potential strengths as a creator of synthesis and an identification of its limitations – the point at which reading by human specialists is required.
Anthony Sinclair; Human Origins Research Group
The effects of isolation by distance, time, and environment on archaeological assemblage variability
There is a long-established interest in the effects of climatic change and variability on human evolution. One component of research investigates the extent to which assemblage composition is affected by differences in climate and environment. This project will 1) establish hypotheses regarding the likely effects of geography, chronology, and environmental change on differences between archaeological assemblages, 2) identify the conditions under which these hypotheses produce mutually exclusive predictions, and 3) test these predictions using a large archaeological database. The project could be carried out in reference to any region or period for which there are a suitable number of radiometrically dated archaeological sites. The theoretical aspects of the project will be of considerable importance to the broader effort towards characterising the determinants of assemblage variability, while the specific results will form an in-depth study of the chosen period and region as well as providing a methodological blueprint for future researchers.
Matt Grove; Human Origins Research Group
Changing cuisines? Understanding ancient diets in the northern Aegean
Research on diet and foodstuffs has been transformed by recent international collaborations, notably the PlantCult ERC-funded project (http://plantcult.web.auth.gr/en/), which opens data sets in neighbouring parts of SE Europe. At the same time, archaeological research is offering better-documented data on the contexts of food preparation and consumption in this region. The PhD researcher will have the opportunity to work on archival data from Pistiros, central Bulgaria, currently based at the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, combining information from ancient written texts with rich faunal and ceramic data. Opportunities exist to expand the archive evidence with new sampling or data collection and study in Bulgaria.
Zosia Archibald; Ancient Economies Research Group
History
Atrocity in times of war (c. 1500 – c. 1800)
This project will trace and study the ways in which the definition and justification of atrocity in war changed during the long early modern period (c. 1500- c.1800). The project will take a comparative and global perspective on wartime atrocities such as the mass murder of civilian populations. The PhD candidate could, for instance, compare how atrocity in war was defined and justified in different colonial and cultural contexts. How was atrocity in war defined and discussed in different contexts and at different times? In how far did existing normative frameworks – e.g. law or theology – facilitate or obstruct the justification of atrocity? The PhD candidate will be able to work on a wide range of sources, from legal treatises to satirical texts and visual or architectural representations of atrocity. The precise focus of the project will be developed in line with the PhD candidate’s training and command of languages.
Student antisemitism at the universities of Dresden and Leipzig, 1890-1940
Student fraternities at German universities were notoriously antisemitic during the late nineteenth and earlier twentieth century. Focusing on the universities of Dresden and Leipzig, this project would look at violence against Jewish students, hate-speech and other expressions of antisemitism by members of student fraternities, paying particular attention to how professors, journalists and women support antisemitic student protest during this period. This will also involve investigating the role of other student groups such as the German Student Union and the Nazi Party, both of which helped organise the fraternities at these universities. A good knowledge of German is essential for this project as it will involve extensive research in German archives and libraries.
The language of American populism
Since the late nineteenth century, populist movements in the United States have played a significant and often disruptive role in political discourse. While these movements have taken diverse forms, they share common rhetorical strategies that challenge social, political, and cultural institutions. This project will investigate the public language of key populist figures, including Tom Watson, Eugene Debs, William Jennings Bryan, Huey Long, Martin Luther King, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump. It explores populism’s relationship to modern liberalism and republicanism in American political thought. It will also analyse the various media through which populist leaders communicated with the public – including newspapers, pamphlets, radio, television, and digital platforms. Populist rhetoric has the capacity to both unify and polarize, frequently directing criticism toward a perceived corrupt elite. This project will evaluate its impact on American democratic discourse, considering both its contributions and limitations.
Masculinity and femininity in Imperial China
Masculinity and Femininity in Imperial China, examines evolving gender concepts within the historical context of imperial China. This research may focus on a particular dynasty or analyze shifts in masculinity and femininity over an extended period. Potential areas of study include depictions of effeminate men and masculine women in literature and society, the roles and influence of powerful women in pre-modern Chinese politics, and the intersection of gender with religious experiences. The project also considers medical beliefs surrounding sexual anomalies, including how conditions were diagnosed and treated in traditional Chinese medicine. Additionally, it explores transvestism and homosexuality, shedding light on how these identities were perceived and represented. By engaging with existing historiography, the work aims to contribute new insights into gender norms, challenging conventional narratives and expanding our understanding of identity, power, and social structures in imperial China.
Social history of Buddhist and Taoist clerics in medieval China
This PhD project explores the lives of ordinary Buddhist and Taoist clerics in medieval China, emphasizing their roles in society and interactions with the lay population. While much of our current understanding of clerics from this period is shaped by hagiographies that highlight the lives of elite monks and priests, the experiences of non-elite clerics remain largely understudied. This research seeks to uncover their daily lives, social engagements, and contributions to local communities. By examining sources such as local gazetteers, monastic records, anecdotes, and other historical documents, the project aims to reconstruct a more comprehensive picture of monastic life beyond religious doctrine and elite narratives. It will explore themes such as clerical labor, economic activities, relationships with local officials, and the role of monks and priests in mediating conflicts or providing social services. Ultimately, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of medieval Chinese religious life from the perspective of ordinary practitioners.
Sanjar Asfendiarov (1889-1938): a political biography
The ‘national communist’ Turkestani Qazaq Sanjar Asfendiarov was a key political figure during the collapse of the Tsarist regime and the establishment of Soviet rule in Central Asia. A new biography of Asfendiarov would cast light on several aspects: first, the profile and strategies of Qazaq elites (esp. White Bone) in the late Tsarist era, including educational trajectories and family connections; second, the impact of the Great War and the politicisation of POWs, including those from national minorities (Asfendiarov was taken prisoner at Łodz); third, the motivations and aspirations of ‘national communists’ in the ‘decolonisation’ of the early 1920s; fourth, early Soviet institution-building in the fields of Oriental Studies, education, and public health; fifth, the impact of Stalin’s repressions on Asfendiarov’s generation in Kazakhstan. Research will mainly take place in Kazakhstani archives. The candidate should know Russian and at least plan to learn to read in Qazaq.
Irish Studies
The Irish Literary Periodical: 1954-1980
This project would look to survey the Irish Literary Periodical from the end of The Bell in 1954 to the cessation of publication of The Lace Curtain in 1980. The PhD would build on research already existing on the periodical in Ireland and look to expand the range with new scholarship on major publications within that period. Possible chapters might include magazines such as: Acorn (1961-1968), The Honest Ulsterman (1968 -), The Lace Curtain (1969-1978), Everyman (1968-70), Arena (1963-1965), The Dolmen Miscellany (1962), Poetry Ireland (1962-1968), X: A Quarterly Review (1960-1962).
Assessment of the stamped patterns on silver in Viking Age hoards
Hiberno-Scandinavian currency rings circulated widely through the Viking world in the period 850-950 CE. While these were produced in Ireland, the biggest collections are found in Britain, including within the Huxley Hoard (Liverpool Museum) Galloway Hoard (National Museums of Scotland) and Cuerdale Hoard (British Museum and other locations). These silver rings circulated as bullion, and they are stamped with a limited repertoire of designs. By measuring and photographing the different stamp patterns used on the rings (using a stereoscopic microscope), it will be possible to identify which armrings were produced using the same stamps, indicating the workshop origins and networks of trade for these iconic objects. This project will provide a new window into the world-changing viking diaspora and Ireland’s place within it through the medium of silver craftsmanship and exchange.
Russia and the development of an Irish literary tradition: 1880-2000
This project would examine the various ways in which Russian literature in translation has influenced and impacted upon the emergence of English language literature in Ireland across the long twentieth century. Possible chapters might consider the following: 'George Moore in the shadow of Turgenev'; 'Constance Garnett's translations and the post-independence moment'; 'Liam O'Flaherty and communist radicalism'; 'Kolokol, The Bell and Censorship'; 'Tolstoy, McGahern and dramatic adaptation'; 'Heaney and Akhmatova'. It would be an advantage — though not a requirement — for the prospective student to be fluent in Russian.
The parliamentary committee system in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Statutory committees fulfil a hybrid role in Northern Ireland’s legislature, encompassing advisory, scrutiny, and legislative responsibilities. Despite their importance to the power-sharing system in Northern Ireland, committees have been neglected in the parliamentary studies literature. This project would explore the functions, evolution, and effectiveness of the statutory committee system in Northern Ireland since its inception in 1999. Potential chapters in the thesis could include: committees and accountability; committee inquiries; committees and law-making; committees and power-sharing; and committees and public engagement.
The Irish Post: Negotiating Irish Identities in Troubles-era Britain, 1970-2020
Established in 1970, the Irish Post was the primary community newspaper for around 1 million Irish migrants resident in Britain, and through its extensive coverage of the Northern Irish Troubles played a central role in reflecting and shaping its readership’s perceptions of the everyday impacts of the conflict in English cities. Focusing especially on the controversial impacts of the Provisional Irish Republican bombing campaign in England, this project explores the role of the Post in mediating the formation of Irish identities in Britain.
Intellectual culture in seventh-century Munster
There was a dynamic intellectual culture obtained in the south of Ireland in the seventh century. The close connection between three learned works of this era—De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae, De ordine creaturarum and De duodecim abusiuis saeculi—has long been recognised, but the context in which they were produced remains obscure. This project will seek to shed light on the scholarly world in which these texts were written, uncovering influences both ecclesiastical and secular, and drawing out connections with law texts, Saints’ Lives and vernacular tales from the same period.
The Dublin Theatre Festival, 1957-2027
Since 1957, the Dublin Theatre Festival has brought many of the world's leading theatre makers to Ireland and showcased the work of Irish artists to an international audience. This project will explore the cultural, social, economic and diplomatic impacts of the festival over the past 70 years. Chapters may explore:
- The postwar origins of the festival
- The historic relationship with Arts Council Ireland, other funding bodies and state institutions
- The festival's governance structure and principles for programming
- Local and international marketing strategies
It is anticipated that this project will entail considerable archival research in Ireland, as well as presenting opportunities for interviews with artists, theatre makers, producers, funding bodies, and government representatives.
Languages, Cultures and Film
The linguistic landscapes of religious tourism in Saudi Arabia
This project would study the linguistic landscapes (LLs) of Makkah and Madinah, linked with their status as destinations for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims from around the world. With original data collected from the two cities, this PhD study would shed light on the understudied area of LLs in the context of religious tourism. Building on literature around the linguistic landscapes of tourist spaces, the study would consider the form and function of official top-down messages as well as unofficially produced bottom-up messages. Possible chapters might discuss the semiotics of space (geosemiotics) and ‘semiotic aggregates’ (Scollon and Scollon 2003), the translation of and relationship between and interaction of different codes in multilingual messages, multimodality, and synergies interactions with other channels of messaging aimed at pilgrims (e.g. dedicated mobile apps).
Difficult heritage
This PhD project would investigate heritage projects across a variety of geographical settings, with a particular focus on difficult heritage. It focuses on the role of heritage in postcolonial, post-conflict transformation, and transitional justice contexts, paying attention to issues such as how heritage may be employed in the acknowledgement of suffering, in collective healing and in reparation. At the same time, the project will explore how heritage practices may advocate for social justice, thus call for transformative (rather than purely transitional) justice. Likely country contexts will include Latin America (including Argentina, Chile and Colombia), the Francophone world (including Vietnam and North Africa), Africa (including Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Africa), and the Middle East (including Saudi Arabia and Egypt). That said, the supervisors also welcome applications working on other country contexts.
The linguistic landscape of Saudi Arabia in transformation
Given the rapid transformation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this PhD project would investigate the processes and discursive representations of Vision 2030. With a range of possible areas of exploration, from heritage or elite tourism to transport or urban regeneration, this PhD will focus on both language and other meaning-making resources as deployed across the KSA in its Linguistic Landscape. Drawing on developments from across the humanities and social sciences, the student will be expected to have training in sociolinguistics and/or related fields (such as multilingualism, language policy, or semiotics) in order to bring a new perspective to the study of a country undergoing fundamental change. Moving beyond count-all methodologies for Linguistic Landscape research, this project will examine a broad dataset, identified by the supervisory team and the student. Equally, there is the potential for this project to explore digital Linguistic Landscapes, drawing on cutting-edge methodological, ethical, and technological developments.
Politics
Women in authoritarian parliaments
This project analyses the causes and consequences of varying shares of women in parliaments in authoritarian regimes. While this is a flourishing area of research, existing work lacks comprehensive and fine-grained data comparing autocracies across the globe in this regard. This project will address this limitation by using original data on the share of women in authoritarian parliament. Given the claim that autocracies are increasingly engaging in ‘gender-washing’ to improve their reputation this is a crucial matter for investigation. The candidate needs a background in comparative politics, skills in the analysis of quantitative data, and ideally, region-specific expertise. This project will sit within the research cluster on Government, Parties and Elections.
Perceptions of international peacekeepers
This project analyses the perceptions of international peacekeeping staff deployed in missions with international or regional organisations about their use of force. There are some emerging studies of the relationship between local perceptions of force and the legitimacy of peacekeeping missions, but we know very little about how peacekeepers themselves view this matter. Given the increased robustness of current peacekeeping and potential post- peacekeeping scenarios, this is a crucial matter for investigation. The candidate needs to be able to conduct interviews with former peacekeepers (remotely), access and use existing datasets, and combine the data into a clear account. An IR background is needed as are good Microsoft Office and data skills. This project will sit within the Peace and Conflict research cluster.
Mobilising foreign fighters
This project seeks to analyse changing narratives of motivation among different generations of foreign fighters. With the emergence of each generation of foreign fighters, the same question emerges among scholars and policy makers: why would an individual choose to travel across the world to participate in conflict? While scholars have generated broad motivations—ideological, religious, financial, and for adventure—there are few in-depth comparative analyses across different generations of foreign fighters. The candidate will need familiarity with researching archival material and conducting interviews. Language skills for chosen cases is desirable. An IR background is needed as are good Microsoft Office and data skills. This project will sit within the Peace and Conflict research cluster.
Normative delegitimation of courts and tribunals
The legal safeguards on democracy have faced increased pushback and contestation over the past decade. Linked to the apparent decline of the liberal order, courts and tribunals at any level (domestic, regional, international) provide an unbiased and reliable check on power and authority and have hence become the first line of attack of populist political elites in democracies around the world. From state leaders and political elites to right-wing news media, courts and tribunals have faced pushback when doing their jobs – ranging from the UK’s Daily Mail headline calling the UK Supreme Court ‘enemies of the people’ in 2016, to Trumps vow to dismiss anyone involved in trials against him. Candidates could approach this topic from the lenses of British, Comparative, or International Politics. A respective background is required, as are good data skills, and region-specific expertise. This project will sit within the Peace and Conflict research cluster.
Social media use by UN peacekeeping mission
This project analyses how UN peacekeeping missions leverage social media. There is an emerging field of research that focuses on how armed group and violence entrepreneurs exploit social media for communication, propaganda and recruitment. However, very little is known about how UN peacekeeping missions have leveraged this technology. As social media plays an increasing role in conflict, how UN missions seek to counter harmful narratives and promote peace is an topic of growing importance. The candidate needs to be able to conduct interviews, access and use existing datasets, and an ability to collect large n data from online social media platforms. An IR background is needed as are good Microsoft Office and data skills. This project will sit within the Peace and Conflict research cluster.