John Pearson Gilliam

John Pearson Gillam (10 July 1917 – 31 December 1986) was a British archaeologist who specialised in the study of Roman coarse pottery.

Early life and education John Pearson Gillam was born in Chesterfield and educated at Chesterfield Grammar School. He entered Durham University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1938, and a postgraduate diploma in Theology in 1939. He was an undergraduate at St Chad's College. It was subsequently revised and issued in book form in three editions. Gillam was working on a fourth edition at the time of his death.

The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies dedicated volume 16 of Britannia to him in 1985. This volume included a bibliography of his publications.

Personal life Gillam married Marie Watson, a fellow student from Durham, in 1942. A polyglot, he could speak and read Hindi, Urdu, Italian and German.