Professor Ben Jervis

I joined the university as Professor of Medieval Archaeology in 2023. I am a specialist in the archaeology of medieval England, with particular interests in urbanism and material culture. I am also committed to the advancement of theoretical approaches within the discipline and have published widely on archaeological applications of assemblage thought.

Prior to coming to Leicester I worked at Cardiff University (2014-2023), where I was Head of Archaeology & Conservation (2021-22). I have previously worked for English Heritage as Assistant Inspector of Ancient Monuments in London and the South-East, and for Berkshire Archaeology as a local authority archaeological advisor.

I am PI of the UKRI funded project ENDURE: Urban Life in a Time of Crisis, which takes an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar approach to understanding urban lifeways in the small towns of later medieval England.

Previously, I was co-investigator on the Leverhulme Trust funded project Living Standards and Material Culture in English Rural Households 1300-1600 and also maintain an active interest in the archaeology of the Norman Conquest. Archaeological theory is central to my work, and I have published widely on archaeological applications of assemblage thought.

Supervision

I am available to supervise research students interested in aspects of medieval archaeology, urban archaeology and archaeological theory.

Current PhD Students:

Kate Evetts: Understanding the Plant Economy of Small Towns in Medieval England (c1200–1600).  I am also co-supervising several PhD students at Cardiff University.

I am primarily engaged in research, but contribute occasional lectures across the archaeology programmes.

I am available to comment on stories relating to the archaeology of medieval Britain.