Hear from our PhD students

Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester has a thriving community of graduate students from the UK, Europe and overseas. Some study on campus at the University, while a diverse group of distance learning students are scattered across the globe. Below some of our students talk about their experience as research students in Archaeology and Ancient History. You can also read a list of all the current research topics of our PhD students.

Emma Stockley

Funding: Midlands4Cities Collaborative Doctoral Award

"After graduating with a degree in British Archaeology from UCL, I spent a decade raising my children before pursuing a career in archaeology and heritage within the UK national parks sector.

Returning to university was a daunting prospect but the support I've received from my funder and supervisory team has been outstanding. I'm lucky to have three supervisors: Dr Laura Basell, UoL; Prof Henry Chapman, UoB; and Dr Lee Bray, Dartmoor National Park. They offer me the guidance I need as a mature student whilst acknowledging that I bring a range of additional skills and experience to the project.

Undertaking my PhD at Leicester has opened up many opportunities. The university's coaching programme ensured that the transition from working full-time to being a student was a smooth one, and the sessions gave me the time to think about my future career and direction post-PhD. In 2022, I won the university's Three Minute Thesis competition, and progressed to the national semi-finals - this led to invitations to speak at other events across the UK. I've gained teaching and fieldwork experience and have access to the department's incredible range of excavation kit, survey equipment and 4x4 vehicle to assist with my own fieldwork on Dartmoor.

My PhD research, which is focused on lithic scatters and the Mesolithic period, is in partnership with Dartmoor National Park Authority. This adds an exciting dimension as my research outcomes will inform land and heritage management within the national park. Knowing that my work has a real-world practical application is hugely satisfying."