Roberta Lynn Gilchrist, FSA, FBA (born 28 June 1965) is a Canadian-born

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

and academic specialising in the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

, whose career has been spent in the United Kingdom. She is Professor of Archaeology and

Dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

of Research at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as the University Extension College, Reading, an extension college of Christchurch College, Oxford, and became University College, ...

Early life and education

Gilchrist was born on 28 June 1965 in Canada. She moved to the UK in 1982 to study archaeology at the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

. She graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) degree in 1986 and a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

(DPhil) degree in 1990. Her

doctoral thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

was titled "The archaeology of female piety: gender, ideology and material culture in later medieval England (c. 1050–1550)".

Academic career

Gilchrist began her academic career in 1990, when she became a

lecturer Lecturer is an academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. They may also conduct re ...

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a Public university, public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus university, campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and twenty-six schools of ...

. In 1996, she moved to the

to take up the position of Professor of Archaeology. She was previously the Head of School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science. Since 2015, she has been

of Research for Heritage and Creativity. In addition to her university work, she has held a number of positions. From 1993 to 2005, she was the consultant archaeologist to

Norwich Cathedral Norwich Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Norwich and the mother church of the dioc ...

. From 1997 to 2006, she was Editor of ''

World Archaeology ''World Archaeology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of archaeology. It was established in 1969 and originally published triannually by Routledge & Kegan Paul. In 2004 it changed to a quarterly publication schedule while ...

'', an

academic journal An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which Scholarly method, scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the ...

specialising in all aspects of archaeology. She served as president of the

Society for Medieval Archaeology The Society for Medieval Archaeology was founded in 1957. Its purpose was to publish a journal on medieval archaeology and organise conferences and events around the subject. It was the third archaeological society founded with a focus on a particul ...

from 2004 to 2007. She specialises in the archaeology of the

in the UK, especially in relation to the archaeology of religion, and the archaeology of gender. Gilchrist is a member of the Antiquity Trust, which supports the publication of the archaeology journal ''

Antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

''.

Honours

In 2002, Gilchrist was elected a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...

(FSA). In 2008, she was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (post-nominal letters FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in t ...

(FBA). Also in 2008, she won the

Martyn Jope Award ''Medieval Archaeology'' is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering the archaeology of the medieval period, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in 1957 by the Society for Medieval Archaeology and is publish ...

for "the best novel interpretation, application of analytical method or presentation of new findings" published in that year's volume of ''

Medieval Archaeology ''Medieval Archaeology'' is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering the archaeology of the medieval period, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in 1957 by the Society for Medieval Archaeology and is publish ...

''. In February 2016, Gilchrist won the "Archaeologist of the Year" award in the Current Archaeology Awards, which are voted for by the public, and recognise people who have made outstanding contributions to archaeology. In 2018 she was elected an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge.

Books

*(Edited with H. Mytum) ''The Archaeology of Rural Monasteries''. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports (BAR 203), 1989 *(With M. Oliva) ''Religious Women in Medieval East Anglia''. Norwich: Centre of East Anglian Studies, 1993 *(Edited with H. Mytum) ''Advances in Monastic Archaeology: Conference on urban monasteries''. Oxford: Tempus Reperatum, 1993 *''Gender and Material Culture: the archaeology of religious women''. London: Routledge, 1994 *''Contemplation and Action: the other monasticism''. Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1995 *''Gender and Archaeology: Contesting the Past''. London: Routledge, 1999 *(Edited with D. Gaimster) ''The Archaeology of Reformation''. London: Maneys, 2003 *(With B. Sloane) ''Requiem: the Medieval Monastic Cemetery in Britain''. London: Museum of London Archaeological Service, 2005 *''Norwich Cathedral Close: the Evolution of the English Cathedral Landscape''. Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2005 *''Medieval Life: Archaeology and the Life Course''. Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer, 2012 *(With C. Green) ''Glastonbury Abbey: archaeological investigations 1904-79,'' 201

*''Sacred Heritage: Monastic Archaeology, Identities, Beliefs'', Cambridge University Press, 2020,

References

External links

Profile page at Reading University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrist, Roberta Canadian archaeologists Canadian women archaeologists Alumni of the University of York Academics of the University of Reading Academics of the University of East Anglia Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 1965 births Living people 20th-century Canadian women scientists Fellows of the British Academy British women historians 21st-century Canadian women scientists Medieval archaeologists