Edward Cecil Harris, is a prominent Bermudian archaeologist. He is best known for the "

Harris matrix The Harris matrix is a tool used to depict the temporal succession of archaeological contexts and thus the sequence of depositions and surfaces on a 'dry land' archaeological site, otherwise called a 'stratigraphic sequence'. The matrix reflec ...

", developed in February 1973 and considered by some to be the "industry standard" for stratigraphic archaeology. This was followed by a five-year investigation into archaeological practices. He determined that the methods did not properly account for stratigraphy, and published his findings in 1979 as the ''Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy''. While attending

Columbia University School of General Studies The School of General Studies, Columbia University (GS) is a liberal arts college and one of the undergraduate colleges of Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights, New York City. GS is known primarily ...

in the United States, Harris spent the summers assisting on archaeological digs in Winchester, England. After graduating, he continued his archaeological work, including in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

, Norway and along the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...

. In 1997 he worked towards a PhD through the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, while working on excavations in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

. In 1982, Harris became a Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

, and in 1991 he became a Fellow at the

John Carter Brown Library The John Carter Brown Library is an independently funded research library of history and the humanities on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The library's rare book, manuscript, and map collections encompass a variety of ...

at Brown University. Outside of academia, Harris has been awarded the ''Palmetto Award'' by the

Bermuda National Trust The Bermuda National Trust is a charitable organization which works to preserve and protect the heritage of Bermuda. According to its website, the organization has the following purposes: "The Bermuda National Trust is a charity, establishe ...

, for his efforts in the historical preservation of several buildings in 1994. In Bermuda, Harris served as the executive director of the

National Museum of Bermuda The National Museum of Bermuda, previously the Bermuda Maritime Museum from its opening in 1974 until 2009 (legislatively formalised in 2013), explores the maritime and island history of Bermuda. The maritime museum is located within the grounds ...

, and writes a history column, entitled "Heritage Matters", for the local newspaper. He is a frequent contributor to the annual '' Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History'', and has served as its editor.

Publications

* ''Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy'' (1979
now available free on the internet in 8 languages
* ''Pillars of the Bridge'' (1991) * ''Practices of Archaeological Stratigraphy'' (1993
now available free on the internet in English
* ''Bermuda Forts 1612-1957'' (1997)

Articles in BJAMH

Articles in the ''Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History''. In 2001, he held the position of editor. * "Bermuda Defences at the End of the American Revolutionary War" (1989) * "A History of Some of the Islands in St. George's Harbour" (1991) with J. C. Arnell * "The 1991 Archaeological Field Season at Fort Cunningham, Bermuda" (1991) with Richard A. Gould and John R. Triggs * "Review of The Geological Map of Bermuda" (1991) * "The 1992 Archaeological Field Season at Fort Cunningham, Bermuda" (1992) with Richard A. Gould and John R. Triggs * "The 1993 Archaeological Investigations at Castle Island, Bermuda" (1994) * "Archaeology of the King's Castle Island, Bermuda: The 1994 and 1995 Seasons" (1996) with Norman F. Barka and Heather M. Harvey * "The Archaeology of Daniel's Island Fort, Bermuda" (1996) with Norman F. Barka * "War and Peace: Historic Fortifications and Heritage Education in the Age of Cultural Tourism" (1998) * "The Archaeology of Paget Fort—Bermuda's First Fort" (1999)

References

External links

Bio at HarrisMatrix.comBermuda Maritime Museum

Columbia University School of General Studies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Edward C. Bermudian archaeologists Living people Brown University fellows Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of London Columbia University School of General Studies alumni Members of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London