Tim Murray (archaeologist) facts for kids
Timothy Andrew Murray, born on February 12, 1955, is a well-known Australian archaeologist. An archaeologist is like a history detective. They study human history by digging up old things and learning about past cultures.
Growing Up and School
Tim Murray was born in Sydney, Australia, on February 12, 1955. He grew up on his family's large farm, called a pastoral station. This farm was located near the Darling River in New South Wales. His family had lived there for many generations. His grandfather, Hubert Murray, was also interested in history. He studied people and collected old Aboriginal stone tools.
Tim went to Sydney Grammar School as a boarder. A boarder is a student who lives at the school during term time. In 1972, he became a Joint Captain at the school. He then earned a scholarship to the University of Sydney. There, he studied history and earned a special Bachelor of Arts degree with double honors.
After his first degree, Tim continued his studies. He spent short times at Cambridge University and the University of Arizona. In 1987, he finished his PhD at the University of Sydney. His PhD research was about how people use old ideas and authorities in archaeology.
His Career in Archaeology
In 1986, Tim Murray started working at La Trobe University in Australia. He began as a lecturer in the Archaeology department. A lecturer is a university teacher. In 1995, he became the head of the Archaeology department. This important role is called the Chair of Archaeology. He held this position until 2014.
From 2009 to 2014, he was also the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at La Trobe. A Dean is like a principal for a group of university departments. In 2010, he was given the special title of Charles La Trobe Professor of Archaeology.
Tim has also taught at many other universities around the world. These include the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney in Australia. He also taught at Cambridge University in England. In Europe, he taught at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He also taught at the Université de Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales in Paris, France. He also taught at University College London.
He has been a special scholar at the Getty Research Institute and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, twice. In 2003, he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. In the same year, he also became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Being a Fellow means he is recognized as an expert in his field.
What He Researches
Tim Murray is interested in many areas of archaeology. He studies the history of archaeology itself. He also looks at how archaeologists think and work. He explores how people understand time in archaeology. He also studies archaeology related to when different cultures first met. He researches the archaeology of the modern world and how to protect historical sites.
He was the main editor for a magazine called the Bulletin of the History of Archaeology.
In Melbourne, Australia, he helped lead big archaeological digs in city areas. These include the Casselden Place dig. He also worked on recent excavations at the Royal Exhibition Building.
Here are some of the big research projects he has worked on:
- Studying Sir John Lubbock and how prehistoric archaeology began.
- Building connections between archaeologists around the world from 1750 to 1950.
- Exploring archaeology in the city of Melbourne.
- Looking into the archaeology of modern cities.
- An archaeology project focused on Australia.
- A project about the global history of archaeology.
