Professor John Gowlett, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, has been elected a Fellow of the British Academy.
Professor Gowlett joins a cohort of 66 of the very best academics elected from the field of humanities and social science research, both across the UK and globally.
He said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy.
“This reflects the strength of our research groups and work across the department, which is the oldest archaeology department in the country.
“Our research is very interdisciplinary, so I hope this will help promote our work.
“In human evolution and world archaeology we work far away and are often below the radar, but we are also driven by the strong belief that our work is there to show the essential unity of humankind.”
The 42 UK Fellows of the British Academy span a wide geographic range, elected from 23 institutions. Twenty oversees colleagues known as Corresponding Fellows, were elected from overseas universities in Uganda, the US, France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
Outgoing President of the British Academy, Lord Stern said: “Now more than ever, we need research, scholarship and evidence from the humanities and social sciences to inform our understanding and decision-making on the most pressing challenges of our time, from identity and democracy, to sustainable development and overcoming poverty, and managing climate change.
“The UK’s research and innovation sector is one of our nation’s greatest assets, and its diversity and openness is a strength that makes us a world-leader in research.
“This year’s cohort of leading Fellows is a strong illustration.
“Our Academy is doing increasingly well at bringing the humanities and social sciences where they should be, at the centre of public life and discussion.”
Lord Stern is succeeded by Professor Sir David Cannadine as President of the British Academy.