Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid

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Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid
BornOctober 3, 1944
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
EducationB.A. University of Malaya; M.A. Cambridge University; Ph.D Yale University
AwardsMerdeka Award 2020; Women at 50 Yale 150 Award 2020

Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid (born October 3, 1944)[1] is a historian and considered to be the first archaeologist in Malaysia,[2][3][4][5] who has won the Merdeka Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement in 2020.[3][4][6][7][5] Siti Zuraina has investigated and excavated many sites in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.[1] She has also worked in many important excavations for the lower Paleolithic period in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.[1] Siti Zuraina has been credited with laying the foundation to develop the field of archaeology in Malaysia since the 1970s.[2][3][4][6] For her contributions to archaeology, she has received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.[8]

Education[edit]

Siti Zuraina was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[2] She was in the graduating batch of 1960/61 at Convent Bukit Nanas.[1] Afterward, Siti Zuraina got her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies from the University of Malaya, and her Master of Arts in Oriental Studies from Cambridge University.[2][8] In 1979, she earned her PhD in Archaeology from Yale University.[2][8]

Career[edit]

To begin her career as an archaeologist, Siti Zuraina started working as the Director of the Centre for Archaeological Research at the University of Malaya.[1][2] In 2003, she was assigned as the first Heritage Commissioner for Malaysia, leading the Heritage Department of The Ministry of Culture Arts and Tourism.[1]

Siti Zuraina has established the Department of National Heritage to protect Malaysia's historical heritage and archaeological artifacts.[3][4][6] She also contributed to the development of the National Heritage Act 2005, requiring all land to be developed away from any historical artifacts to protect the artifacts from disappearing.[1][3]

From 2011 to 2015, Siti Zuraina was selected as Malaysia's Head of Delegation at the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee.[1][5] Through her efforts, Lenggong Valley obtained a UNESCO World Heritage Site status on June 30, 2012.[1][4][6][7][9] She has also obtained UNESCO inscriptions for the historical Melaka and George Town, Penang.[3][7][5] As well as, playing an important role in getting the UNESCO Memory of the World inscription for Batu Bersurat Terengganu, enriching Malaysian heritage.[3][7][5]

In 2017, Siti Zuraina was inducted into the Academy of Science Malaysia.[1][5] She has also served as a Heritage Advisor to the HRH Sultan of Selangor and Commissioner for Malaysia's Heritage Resources.[1][2][5]

Siti Zuraina has written and published many articles and four books.[2] A notable book she wrote is The Perak Man and other Prehistoric Skeletons of Malaysia, which provides an overview of the discoveries found from archaeological site excavations in Malaysia.[1][2]

Excavations[edit]

Siti Zuraina initially went to Lenggong Valley in Perak to find a missing historical link to prehistoric migration.[7] During the visit, Siti Zuraina had a hunch that the formed stones found were man-made and wanted to further investigate, so she raised money with her husband to revisit the area later and do an excavation.[3][7] There, she discovered the 74,000-year-old Paleolithic stone tool artifact site of Kota Tampan and the 11,000-year-old Paleolithic skeleton of the Perak Man.[3][4][6][7][8][5] Kota Tampan showed how early tools were made in a tropical climate, which differs from how early tools were made in Europe.[6] The Perak Man is one of the oldest human skeletons found in Malaysia and is used as one of the earliest evidence of a rare birth defect called Brachymesophalangia Type A2.[3][6][7][5] Additionally, the discovery of the Perak Man led to the revelation of a Paleolithic burial ceremony in Southeast Asia.[5] Siti Zuraina's research found that Peninsular Malaysia was used as early migratory routes from Africa to Australia,[8][5] providing evidence of one of the earliest habitations in Southeast Asia.[6] Through these discoveries at Lenggong Valley, Malaysia was placed on the archaeological map,[6][7][9] when before, compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, Malaysia wasn't a part of archaeological interest.[6] The discoveries that Siti Zuraina made has been written down and taught in the textbooks in Malaysian schools.[3]

Siti Zuraina also discovered the prehistoric sites Niah caves, Sarawak.[8] In her excavations, she found the remains of a 2,000-year-old man with a rare congenital deformity called Amelia.[7]

Through her discoveries and findings, Siti Zuraina got Universiti Sains Malaysia to establish the Center for Archaeological Research to advance archaeology further in Malaysia.[3][4][6][7][5] Through the Masters and PhD programs, Siti Zuraina personally trained and taught students to be future archaeologists.[1][3][4][5] In 2001, she won the Research Excellence Award from Universiti Sains Malaysia.[5]

Awards[edit]

In 1993, Siti Zuraina received the title of Dato' Paduka Mahkota Perak.[1][2] She was awarded the prestigious Penang Government Medal and Order of the State of Perak for the Defender of the Crown.[1][2] Her name and signature are also inscribed on many heritage plagues throughout Malaysia.[1][2]

When she received the Merdeka award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement in 2020, she dedicated the award to her late husband and her "dream team," that she worked with in Lenggong.[7] She also won the Women at 50 Yale award in 2020.[2][7][5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Emeritus Professor Dato' Dr Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid - CBN Alumni". CBN Alumni. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Zuraina Majid (Malaysia)". Office of International Students & Scholars. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Meet Malaysia's first archaeologist, who discovered the 11000-year-old Perak Man". The Star. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Go, Sandra (29 August 2022). "Malaysia's first archeologist shares how archaeology makes history come alive". Biztech Asia. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Dawn of Archaeology: Malaysia's Inaugural Explorer of the Past". The Merdeka Award. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Prof Dr Siti Zuraina receives Merdeka Award for safeguarding Malaysia's historical and archaeological heritage". www.optionstheedge.com. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Krishnan, Dhesegaan Bala (21 September 2022). "Renowned historian honoured for archaeological discoveries | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Archaeologist to be honoured at convocation". The Star. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b Razak, Dzulkifli Abdul (5 October 2022). "Zuraina's passion for archaeology opens up the minds of the young | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
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