John Schofield

Professor John Schofield

  • Post Nominals: FAHA, FSA
  • Fellow Type: Corresponding Fellow
  • Elected to the Academy: 2021

Biography

Professor John Schofield is Director of Studies in Cultural Heritage Management in the Archaeology Department at the University of York (UK). He also holds adjunct positions at Griffith and Flinders universities, and is Docent in Contemporary Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at the University of Turku (Finland). John is a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. He has previously served as Executive Director of the Taylor and Francis journal World Archaeology.

Following a PhD in archaeology at Southampton University, John spent 21 years in policy, heritage protection and research leadership with one of the UK’s lead heritage agencies, English Heritage (now Historic England). During this time he developed an active research interest in contemporary archaeology as well as recognising the need for cultural heritage to be socially engaged, a revelation that came during his first visit to Australia. John was then appointed to the University of York in 2010, going on to serve as Head of Archaeology from 2012-2018. John has visited Australia regularly since 1997, engaging with its agencies, heritage consultancies and universities, often delivering workshops, seminars and keynotes. Recent publications reflect growing collaboration with Australian partners across diverse disciplines including marine biology and public policy, alongside heritage and archaeology. His latest book, Wicked Problems for Archaeologists: Heritage as Transformative Practice, was published by Oxford University Press in May 2024.

John Tweets as @JohnSchofYork and DJs as Unofficial: Hippocampus when time allows.

Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Academy of the Humanities recognises Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land, and their continuous connection to country, community and culture.