John-Henry Phillips

John-Henry Phillips FSA (born 15 November 1991) is a British author, archaeologist, filmmaker and television presenter.^[1]

John-Henry Phillips
Phillips in 2025
Born	(1991-11-15) 15 November 1991 (age 33) Bury St. Edmunds, England
Education	Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts
Alma mater	University of Leicester
Occupation(s)	Author, archaeologist, filmmaker, television presenter
Years active	2016 - Present
Known for	Archaeology, human rights
Notable work	The Search, No Roses On A Sailor's Grave, Romani Community Archaeology
Television	The Great British Dig, Digging For Britain
Awards	Fellow of The Society of Antiquaries of London

Early life and education

Phillips was born in Bury St. Edmunds, England.^[2] Phillips graduated university with a Bachelor's degree in Archaeology in 2016 and a Master's degree in Human Rights in 2022, both from the University of Leicester.^[3]

Career

Phillips began his career as a commercial archaeologist in 2016.^[4] In 2017, he launched a project to locate the wreck of LCH 185, a D-Day Landing Craft sunk off the coast of Normandy, and build a memorial to its crew alongside Patrick Thomas, the last survivor of its sinking.^[5][6]

Phillips created, produced, and appeared in the documentary No Roses On A Sailor's Grave, which was subsequently acquired by CBC and broadcast on Hollywood Suite in Canada in 2021, and on PBS America in the United Kingdom in 2022.^[7][8][9]

In 2022 Phillips's debut book, The Search, was published globally in hardback and paperback by Hachette/Little, Brown.^[10] The same year Phillips began co-hosting series 4 of The Great British Dig on Channel 4, alongside comedian Hugh Dennis. The series was broadcast in June 2023 and won 'Best Popular Factual Programme' at the Broadcast Digital Awards.^[11] In October 2023, Phillips's career was highlighted in British Archaeology magazine.^[12]

In 2024 Phillips created, scored and appeared in a short-film, Searching For Romani Heritage, for Historic England.^[13]

In 2025 Phillips appeared in series 12 of BBC Two's Digging For Britain, alongside Alice Roberts, and authored an article on his Romani archaeology work for British Archaeology magazine.^[14][15]

Romani archaeology and human rights

Phillips is from a Romany background.^[4] While writing The Search, Phillips founded Romani Community Archaeology, a non-profit created to undertake archaeological excavations of historic Romany Gypsy sites in the United Kingdom, in order to highlight human rights abuses of Romani people.^[4] In autumn 2024 Romani Community Archaeology excavated a former 'Gypsy Rehabilitation Centre' - a site of forced assimilation created by the Forestry Commission in the New Forest in the 1960s. An exhibition on the excavation, titled The Close, was opened by Phillips at the New Forest Heritage Centre in February 2025, before reopening at the National Holocaust Centre and Museum.^[16][17]

Phillips regularly lectures on the topic of both Romani archaeology and Romani rights, most notably at Pembroke College, University of Oxford, House of Lords, Glastonbury Festival, Historic England, University of Liverpool, HMP Erlestoke, Council For British Archaeology, National Trust, and Oxford Brookes.^[18][19][20]

Awards and honours

Phillips was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2024.^[1]