Roberta Gilchrist

Roberta Lynn Gilchrist, FSA, FBA (born 28 June 1965) is a Canadian-born archaeologist and academic specialising in the medieval period, whose career has been spent in the United Kingdom. She is Professor of Archaeology and Dean of Research at the University of Reading.

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. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1986 and a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1990.

Academic career Gilchrist began her academic career in 1990, when she became a lecturer at University of East Anglia. In 1996, she moved to the University of Reading to take up the position of Professor of Archaeology. From 1997 to 2006, she was Editor of World Archaeology, an academic journal specialising in all aspects of archaeology.

Gilchrist is a member of the Antiquity Trust, which supports the publication of the archaeology journal Antiquity.

Honours In 2002, Gilchrist was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA). In 2008, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). Also in 2008, she won the Society for Medieval Archaeology's Martyn Jope Award for "the best novel interpretation, application of analytical method or presentation of new findings" published in that year's volume of Medieval Archaeology.

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, 2015 Sacred Heritage: Monastic Archaeology, Identities, Beliefs, Cambridge University Press, 2020,