Simon Roffey

Dr. Simon Roffey is a Reader in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Winchester, a position he has held since 2002, and became a Reader in 2013. He is part of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Previously, he served in the Royal Navy Submarine Service before pursuing a career in archaeology. He has also taught at the University of Reading and the Oxford University Centre for Continuing Education. His research focuses on medieval archaeology, particularly medieval religion and belief, and the archaeology of Buddhism.

Simon Roffey holds an undergraduate degree from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1998), an MRes from the same institution (1999), and a PhD from the University of Winchester (2004), titled A Social Archaeology of Parish Church Chantries and Chapels: a perspective from the south and west of England.

His research interests include medieval archaeology, particularly the archaeology of medieval religion and belief, the archaeology of Winchester, and the archaeology of Buddhism. He has conducted significant work on medieval hospitals, such as the Magdalen Hill Archaeological Research Project (MHARP), focusing on the medieval hospital of St Mary Magdalen in Winchester. This project has explored the social and medical history of leprosy and its impact on medieval society.

• Elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (2013)
• Elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (2013)
• Elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (2012)

Dr. Roffey supervises research students in areas such as church archaeology, medieval religion, and medieval settlement in southern England. He has secured significant funding, including a British Academy Small Research Grant (2016) for the study of the medieval leprosarium cemetery at St Mary Magdalen, and Wellcome Trust support (2013) for research into medieval hospitals. His work often involves collaborative projects and interdisciplinary approaches, integrating archaeological evidence with historical and scientific analysis.

He co-directed the Magdalen Hill Archaeological Research Project (MHARP) with Dr. Phil Marter, which has been a cornerstone of his research. The project has produced numerous publications and provided training for students in archaeological fieldwork and analysis.