By the Caribbean Journal staff

Archaeologist Dr Margaret Leshikar-Denton has been named the new director of the Cayman Islands National Museum.

Leshikar-Denton had previously worked at the museum as an archaeologist for 16 years doing research and producing displays.

“I have great respect and appreciation for the heritage and culture of the Cayman Islands,” she said. “It is therefore a privilege to be entrusted with the leadership and vision of the National Museum.”

Above: Dr Peggy Leshikar-Denton

Leshikar-Denton has worked in the field in a number of countries, including Spain, Turkey, Jamaica, Mexico and Turks and Caicos.

She first came to the island in 1980, when a team from Texas A&M University’s Institute of Natural Archaeology was invited by the government to survey the island’s waters for shipwrecks.

She has also served as the senior representative for Central America and the Caribbean on the World Archaeological Congress.

“We are very excited to welcome Dr Leshikar-Denton as new Museum Director,” said Culture Minister Mark Scotland. “Her local knowledge, combined with her unique experience, will certainly ensure that the National Museum remains one of Cayman’s premiere cultural entities.”