{{Short description|American prehistorian (1924–2015)}} {{more footnotes|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Fred Wendorf | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1924|7|31|df=yes}} | birth_place = Terrell, Texas | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2015|7|15|1924|7|31}} | death_place = Dallas, Texas | fields = Archaeology | workplaces = Texas Tech University, Southern Methodist University | alma_mater = Harvard University | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | known_for = | awards = {{Plainlist| * Fellow of National Academy of Sciences (1987) * Distinguished Service Medal for Conservation Service (1988) * Lucy Wharton Drexel Medal for Archaeological Achievement (1996) * Egyptian Geological Survey Award (1997) * Fellow of Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences (2012) }} | spouse = Christy Bednar | children = (6) Gail, Cindy, Kelly, Carl, Michael and Scott }} '''Denver Fred Wendorf ''' (July 31, 1924 – July 15, 2015) was an American archaeologist known primarily for his groundbreaking research in northeast Africa. He also founded the Fort Burgwin Research Center and Department of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University, where he was Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory.<ref name=Peabody>{{cite web |title=Press Release |url=http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/files/Movius.pdf |work=Peabody.Harvard.edu |publisher=Peabody Museum of Archeology & Ethnology |year=2008 |accessdate=February 22, 2012 |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610151601/http://peabody.harvard.edu/files/Movius.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Midland>{{cite web |title=Excavator of "Midland Man" site dies at age 90 |url=http://www.mrt.com/news/state_and_national/article_6446cbd8-2b3f-11e5-b75c-b38ecdb3f4e7.html |work=Midland Reporter-Telegram | year=2015| accessdate=July 16, 2015}}</ref> He won numerous awards throughout his career and was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences.<ref name=Peabody/>
==Biography== Wendorf had an interest in the field of archaeology ever since his childhood when at the age of 8 Wendorf began to find and collect arrowheads. Wendorf started studying archaeology collegiately in 1942 at the University of Arizona. However, it was cut short due to serving in World War II as a rifle platoon leader with the 86th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chambers|first=Ashley|title=Fred Wendorf|url=https://msu-anthropology.github.io/deoa-ss16/wendorf/wendorf.html|access-date=2021-03-29|website=msu-anthropology}}</ref> Wendorf resumed his studies one year later after suffering a battle wound to his arm. This injury and the experience behind it earned Wendorf a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Wendorf continued his college education at colleges close to whatever military hospital he was reporting to. This included the University of Michigan. Wendorf received his bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in 1948, then his doctorate degree of Harvard University in 1953. Wendorf's first archaeology job was in New Mexico at a construction site of a natural gas pipeline. This involved Wendorf excavating roughly one hundred and fifty sites off this pipeline. He then became a research archaeologist with the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe. Soon after Wendorf was contacted by an amateur archaeologist about the remains of human bone fragments that he had previously found around Midland.<ref name="smu.edu">{{cite web|title=World renowned SMU archaeologist Fred Wendorf has died|url=https://www.smu.edu/News/2015/fred-wendorf-dies-15july2015|website=smu.edu|accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref> This excavation took place at what is now known as the “Midland Man” site and was a milestone for Wendorf. Following this excavation Wendorf joined the staff of what is now Texas Tech University where he held the first ever summer archaeological field school. In 1958 he went back to being the associate director at the Museum of New Mexico.<ref name="dallasnews.com">{{cite web|last1=Simnacher|first1=Joe|title=Denver Fred Wendorf, renowned SMU anthropologist, dies at 90|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/obituary-headlines/20150717-denver-fred-wendorf-renowned-smu-anthropologist-dies-at-90.ece|website=The Dallas Morning News|accessdate=2016-03-10}}</ref> Wendorf was one of the first archaeologists to answer an international plea to excavate along the Nile River Valley.<ref name="smu.edu"/>
Wendorf created SMU’s anthropology department in 1964. At this time Wendorf switched his archaeological focus from the American Southwest to northeast Africa. Wendorf expanded his work by getting involved in the protection of historical shipwrecks. His investigations eventually led to the Abandoned Shipwrecks act of 1987, which protects historical shipwrecks in the United States. Wendorf was the director of the Combined Prehistoric Expedition until 1999. This expedition was in Africa and covered from the early stone age till around to late Bronze Age and has given us a tremendous amount of insight on behavior during those historic times along the Nile and in the desserts. Wendorf's work has won him many awards including;
*Received a medal from the supreme council of antiques of Egypt in 1974{{cn|date=September 2021}} *Elected into the national academy of sciences in 1987{{cn|date=September 2021}} *Received a Lucy Wharton Drexl Medal for archaeological achievement in 1996{{cn|date=September 2021}}
Wendorf retired in 2003. Wendorf died on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 due to a long term illness. He was a father to his three daughters, Gail Wendorf, Cindy Ruiz and Kelly Wendorf, and to his three sons, Carl Wendorf, Michael Wendorf and Scott Wendorf. Denver Fred Wendorf was a husband to his wife Christy Bednar and a brother to his sisters, Mildred DiMaggio and Mary Ann Stripling.<ref name="dallasnews.com"/>
==Bibliography== *{{cite book |title=Prehistory of the Eastern Sahara |series=Studies in Archaeology |publisher=Academic Press |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-12-743960-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/prehistoryofeast0000wend }} *{{cite book |title=Egypt During the Last Interglacial |publisher=Springer |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-306-44409-8}} (with Romuald Schild, Angela E. Close) *{{cite book |title=Holocene Settlement of the Egyptian Sahara: Volume 1: The Archaeology of Nabta Playa |publisher=Springer |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-306-46612-0}} (with Romuald Schild) *{{cite book |title=Fort Burgwin Research Center |publisher=Southern Methodist University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-9795372-0-2}} (with James E. Brooks) *{{cite book |title=Desert Days: My Life As a Field Archaeologist |publisher=Southern Methodist University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-87074-524-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/desertdaysmylife00wend }}
==See also== *Cantonment Burgwin *Cemetery 117
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== * {{cite news |last=Hull |first=Bryson |title=SMU Professor Leading Classical Dig in Egypt |work=Laredo Morning Times |date=January 4, 1999 |page=4A}} * {{cite news |author=Tempo staff |title=History Hunter: Dr. Fred Wendorf leads off UNM-Taos/SMU lecture series |url=http://www.taosnews.com/entertainment/article_c67f8771-4387-5a81-8de3-5c367b8fe785.html |work=The Taos News |date=September 8, 2010 |accessdate=February 22, 2012 |archive-date=August 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803001414/http://www.taosnews.com/entertainment/article_c67f8771-4387-5a81-8de3-5c367b8fe785.html |url-status=dead }}
==Further reading== *{{cite journal |title=Egyptian Stonehenge |url=http://discovermagazine.com/1998/jul/egyptianstonehen1487 |journal=Discover Magazine |volume=19 |number=7 |date=July 1998 |accessdate=February 22, 2012}} *{{cite journal |title=Exit from Eden |url=http://discovermagazine.com/2000/jan/featsahara |journal=Discover Magazine |volume=21 |number=1 |date=January 2000 |accessdate=February 22, 2012}} *{{cite web |last=Pettigrew |first=Richard |title=''Desert Days'': An Interview with Dr. Fred Wendorf |url=http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/audio/wendorfint.html |work=The Archeology Channel |publisher=Archaeological Legacy Institute |accessdate=February 22, 2012 |archive-date=July 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709003048/http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/audio/wendorfint.html |url-status=dead }}
==External links== * [http://blog.smu.edu/research/tag/fred-wendorf/ Fred Wendorf] at SMU Research * [https://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/departments/ancient_egypt_and_sudan/facilities_and_services/study_room/the_wendorf_collection.aspx The Wendorf Collection] at the British Museum * [http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/wendorf-fred.pdf Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery, "Fred Wendorf", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2016)]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wendorf, Fred}} Category:1924 births Category:2015 deaths Category:American anthropologists Category:American archaeologists Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Category:People from Taos, New Mexico Category:Southern Methodist University faculty Category:University of Arizona alumni Category:Texas Tech University faculty