exclusive club of the world's greatest scientists and adventurers.

Dr. Harris was elected a Fellow of the prestigious Explorers Club recently, joining Mount Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary, Titanic explorer Robert Ballard, and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

The 52-year-old said: "It's a great privilege for me and Bermuda to be honoured in this way.

"I'm looking forward to expanding our association with the premier scientific and archaeological communities and other forms of exploration.'' Dr. Harris has served as director of the museum for 20 years, authored Bermuda Forts: 1612-1957, and has published numerous academic papers.

However, he is world renowned for his 1973 invention of the Harris Matrix -- a method which revolutionised the way archaeologists record and interpret historic sites.

The Explorers Club was founded in 1905 and is headquartered in New York City.

It serves as a link between accomplished scientists and explorers from around the world through its dedication to the advancement of field research and scientific exploration and its support of club members' expeditions and projects on land, at sea and in space.

Fellows and Members are vetted and elected by the society but must have made a significant contribution to exploration and research.