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 documentation of 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:
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);
Archaeological fieldwork and analysis of archaeological sites, visual culture, monuments and/or artefacts relevant for the understanding of Mesoamerican cultures (consultant: prof. dr. M.E.R.G.N. Jansen). Currently, particular interest concerns the topics of water systems and worldview in southern Mexico (consultant: dr. A. Rojas Martinez Gracida);
Documentation of museum collections or simply collaborating with the tasks of the Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, such as helping to develop a museum exhibition or congress (consultant: dr. L. van Broekhoven).