Archaeology: Historical Archaeology

The new specialisation Historical Archaeology has started in September 2011. The focus of this specialisation is on urban archaeology in the Netherlands between 1200 and 1800 AD, but also includes the archaeology of European expansion in the 16th to 18th centuries.

The term historical archaeology illustrates perfectly how archaeological sources may form the starting point, while historical data form an equally important supporting role. ‘Historical’ in this case should be read as encompassing all written sources (historic archives) as well as (contemporary) art, buildings and maps. Only when all these factors are included in a thorough study, you will see that the data from such diverse fields do anything but match seamlessly. And although the union of the two may seem an imperfect marriage, it’s the apparent contradictions that sharpen the critical mind, afford us the most academic gain, and make archaeology such an exciting field of study.

Staff: Dr. E.P. Bult, dr. R. Parthesius, dr. R.M.R. van Oosten.