Dr. Matthew Johnson

Biography

Matthew Johnson works on archaeology within the context of the British Isles and the Northern Atlantic. He has written six books on a range of themes, including castles, traditional houses, and landscape archaeology, with an emphasis on capitalism's influence. His notable work, 'Archaeological Theory: Introduction,' had a revised edition published in 2019. He employs interdisciplinary interpretive approaches to enhance the understanding of medieval and historical archaeology, focusing particularly on cultural contexts. Johnson has conducted fieldwork at Bodiam Castle, a site characterized as a 'fairytale castle' and a classic study in societal and cultural debates of the Middle Ages. Through a collaborative Anglo-American project, he explored the castle's surroundings and the social landscapes of the area. He has taught various topics, including archaeological social theory and historical archaeology, utilizing resources like maps and documentary sources. Born in Austin, Texas, he is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Britain. He has held visiting fellowships at institutions such as UC-Berkeley, Heidelberg University, and UCLA. After completing his PhD at Cambridge, Johnson returned to the Atlantic in 2011 as a Professor and Chair of Anthropology at Northwestern University. He was also selected as a Guggenheim Fellow in 2019.

Research Interests