Martin Biddle | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1937-06-04)4 June 1937 (age 87) |
| Alma mater | Pembroke College, Cambridge (MA) |
| Occupation | Professor ofMedieval Archaeology |
| Employer | University of Oxford |
| Spouse | Birthe Kjølbye-Biddle |
Martin Biddle,CBE, FBA, FSA (born 4 June 1937) is a British archaeologist and academic. He is an emeritus fellow ofHertford College, Oxford. His work was important in the development of medieval and post-medieval archaeology in Great Britain.
Biddle was born on 4 June 1937.[1] He was educated atMerchant Taylors' School, apublic boys school in Hertfordshire.[2] He went on to study atPembroke College, Cambridge, graduating Bachelor of Arts (BA). This was later upgraded toMaster of Arts (MA).[1]
Biddle was alecturer inmedieval archaeology at theUniversity of Exeter from 1963 to 1967. From 1977 to 1981, he was Professor of Anthropology and of History of Art atUniversity of Pennsylvania, and director of itsPenn Museum. He was a member of theRoyal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England from 1984 to 1995. He was AstorSenior Research Fellow in medieval archaeology atHertford College, Oxford between 1989 and 2002, and also Professor of Medieval Archaeology at theUniversity of Oxford from 1997 to 2002.[3]
Biddle and his wife Birthe Kjølbye-Biddle examined Jerusalem'sChurch of the Holy Sepulchre to explore the long-rumoured site of the tomb where Jesus was brought after his crucifixion. This meticulous study set out to define what is known about the tomb and theAedicule, the little shrine that has covered the tomb since the early fourth century.[citation needed]
Proceeding backward from the present, they examined the site in detail, its appearances, and its destructions and rebuilding through the centuries, a survey that was constructed without restrictions, using traditional methods of architectural archaeology and the most recent techniques ofphotogrammetry.[4]
Biddle was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1997New Year Honours 'for services to the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England'.[9] He was promoted toCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2014 Birthday Honours for services to archaeology.[10]
On 1 January 1964, Biddle was elected aFellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA).[11] In 1985, he was electedFellow of the British Academy (FBA).[12] He served as president of theLondon and Middlesex Archaeological Society from 2011 to 2014.
In 2012,Raymond Sackler and his wife Beverly endowed a series of lectures in honour ofNorman Hammond. These lectures are co-hosted byPeterhouse, Cambridge, and theMcDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. The third Sackler lecture in honour of Norman Hammond was given on 27 February 2017 at Peterhouse by Biddle on "Capital Considerations: Winchester and the Birth of Urban Archaeology".[13]
