Internships in the field of Mesoamerican and Andean Studies can take different forms, which have in common the realisation of practical research, designed by the student and aiming at the interpretation of cultural data.
This can be an individual research on archaeological and/or ethnographic artefacts, for example in museum collections, such as the Museum of Ethnology in Leiden or similar museums in Europe, U.S.A. or Latin America (consultant: dr L. van Broekhoven).
If circumstances, finances, and security allow, this research practice may also be carried out in the region of specialisation, e.g. through site studies or participation in archaeological or ethnographic fieldwork – obviously only with adequate preparation, knowledge of the relevant language and the necessary local permits.
Examples are:
Archaeological fieldwork, such as the surveys and excavations carried out by the faculty in Nicaragua, or the study of find material (consultant: dr. A. Geurds);
Analysis of archaeological sites, monuments and/or artefacts relevant for the understanding of Mesoamerican worldview and ritual (consultant: dr. A. Rojas Martinez Gracida);
Ethnographic documentation of traditional technology and/or oral traditions (consultant: prof. dr. M.E.R.G.N. Jansen);
Participation in archaeological projects directed by sister-institutions abroad in different parts of Middle & South America (consultants: dr. A. Geurds and dr. A. Rojas Martinez Gracida).