Jack Golson
Jack Golson is an archaeologist who has done extensive field work in Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.
Golson studied history and archaeology at Cambridge University. In 1954, he lectured at the archaeology department of Auckland University in New Zealand where he began studies on pre-history in the Pacific Islands. Golson also worked towards improving standards and methods of archaeology in New Zealand and organised the New Zealand Archaeological Association.
In 1957, he carried out the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island in Samoa. In 1961, he was appointed Fellow in Prehistory at the Australian National University and carried out research in Australia and Papua New Guinea. He was the president of the World Archaeological Congress.
In 1991, Golson retired after 30 years at the Australian National University. He became a visiting Fellow there while focusing his work on Papua New Guinea. In the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours Golson was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia for "service to education, particularly in the fields of pre-history and archaeology research in Asia and the Pacific Region". In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal.
