Een ode aan de studie naar het verleden

An ode to archaeology. In the studies Archaeology and History at the University of Groningen, students are often asked to critically reflect on their studies. Why are we doing what we are doing and, especially, why should we get paid? This focus is understandable in our society that is focused on economic growth, resulting in little value being assigned to the humanities. However, because of this focus, we sometimes tend to forget why we are passionate about studying the past. In this article, I bring an ode to the study of the past to counter this. I believe the study of the past can bring a perspective to the present, makes it possible to imagine a future and can nuance the constant focus on linear progress. Furthermore, the people who have access to their past should be thankful for it, since this access is not a given for everyone.

Beeldvorming over archeologie, beeldvorming bij archeologen

Imaging of archaeology, imaging by archaeologists. Among the general public and in the popular media, archaeology has a quite positive image, but one that is far from the realities of the everyday work of professional archaeologists. In this paper, I explore how that biased image became established and what role media professionals and archaeologists play in maintaining it. Further, I discuss what effect the image of excavation as the central, if not the only, aspect of archaeology has and has had on the careers of female archaeologists. Finally, I argue for self-reflection about our professional identities and the way we present our work.

Archeologie voor snackers, ondiepe gravers en diepgravers: de archeoloog als verhalenverteller

Archaeology for ‘paddlers’, ‘swimmers’ and ‘divers’. This article gives a brief outline of the numerous ways in which people can get involved in archaeology. The most important message is the idea that archaeology revolves around ‘storytelling’; the archaeologist is a person who tells stories about the past. This approach can be used to appeal to three target groups: ‘paddlers’, ‘swimmers’ and ‘divers’. The article is written by a director of the Hunebedcentrum, a museum which has more than 50 years’ experience of telling stories to a wide public. It is an example of ‘archaeology for all,’ an approach that can also be applied to other activities in which archaeology has a role to play. The world has changed rapidly over the past 25 years. New media, such as smartphones, drones, audio-visual equipment and other technology, mean that the world can be experienced in a completely different way today than it could in the past. There are wonderful opportunities available to those who are receptive to new ideas. A subject such as archaeology, which stimulates people’s imagination, is particularly suitable in this context.

Behoud in situ, of wat doen we als alles op is?

Out of Archaeology. Even if we may still hope to decrease our ecological footprint in the years to come, our archaeological footprint has increased rapidly over the past years. We still discover, map and excavate archaeological sites and patterns, but at the same time our archaeological ‘stock’ will decrease dramatically. Maybe all that we will have left in the near future in the Netherlands will be restricted to some archaeological reserves, which will be strictly protected areas, with no possibilities for excavation. A picture of the future (2054) is outlined in this article. We have strived to reserve (preserve?) archaeological resources since 2007, but what was actually happening in the field in the first quarter of the 21st century? And what if we run out of archaeology?

Op de schouders van reuzen. De archeologie van Noordwest-Europa

On the shoulders of giants: the archaeology of northwestern Europe. From its founding in 1918, the Biologisch-Archaeologisch Instituut has carried out research on stone-age hunter-gatherers, the start and the development of prehistoric farming communities, burial mounds and settlements on the sandy soils, and the occupation of the terp-mound district. This article presents the highlights of a century-long research history and identifies current developments.

Honderd jaar archeozoölogie in Groningen

One hundred years of zooarchaeology in Groningen. In 1920, Albert Egges van Giffen founded the Biologisch-Archaeologisch Instituut. Even back in 1920, zooarchaeology was a main component of the institute’s research focus and van Giffen started a zooarchaeological reference collection. The zooarchaeology collection gradually expanded, and zooarchaeological research continued to be undertaken under the direction of, first, Prof. Dr. Anneke Clason, then Dr. Wietske Prummel, and now Dr. Canan Çakırlar. In recent years, the field of zooarchaeology has seen a rise in the application of biomolecular approaches. This has happened at the GIA as well. In this paper, we highlight some of the zooarchaeological work and exciting new projects currently being undertaken at the GIA, as well as the implications zooarchaeological research can have for our understanding of the past and our perspective on the environment.

Van scheepshout tot digitale wrakken. Een reflectie op de ontwikkeling en toekomst van de maritieme archeologie in Nederland

Wooden ships and digital wrecks. A reflection upon the development and future of maritime archaeology in The Netherlands. This paper explores the development of the Dutch maritime archaeological research tradition, the current status of the discipline, and its future perspective. To that end, the focus is mainly on the most important maritime archaeological entity: the shipwreck. Many of the Dutch shipwrecks have been found and studied in the former seabed of the Zuiderzee (the current polders of the province of Flevoland). Ever since the 1940s, shipwrecks have been examined in this region. Until the beginning of the 21st century, many of these wrecks were studied in a more or less traditional (analogue and manual) way. Nowadays, traditional and modern excavation techniques and methods are combined for fast, accurate and detailed research results. We should realize that, whereas the quality of maritime archaeological research will improve over the next 25 years, the preservation quality of the shipwrecks will continue to decrease due to soil disturbance, dehydration and decompression. Therefore, future maritime archaeological developments should focus not only on research techniques, but also on new and better methods that will help to prevent a further deterioration of the Dutch wrecks.

Van poep tot pit. Bruggen slaan tussen wetenschap en samenleving

From poo to pit. Bridging the gap between science and society. What drives scientists and researchers to make their research accessible to a wider audience? In this article, we focus on a concrete example of valorization. Merit Hondelink and the Scholierenacademie (the pre-university academy of the University of Groningen) collaborated on a Massive Open Online Course for primary school students. This example of public engagement shows that the exchange of knowledge and skills between science and society provides new insights for both parties. Hondelink’s research focuses on eating patterns of early modern Dutch people. In the MOOC, students investigate what the men in the Oudemannenhuis (old men’s house) in Delft ate, using scientific methods.

Je kunt alleen vooruit roeien door achteruit te kijken. Pleidooi voor meer politiek in de archeologie en meer archeologie in de politiek

You can only row forward by looking back. Our past is a complex story. It comprises the best and the worst, atrocities and liberations, grief and jubilation. Archaeology is indispensable for making reconstructions of that past, and knowing the past is vital for understanding the present and the future. “You row forward by looking back, and telling this history is part of helping people navigate toward the future,” Rebecca Solnit (2016) argues. Therefore, archaeology should play an important role in society. Although the role archaeology plays and can play is shaped by political decisions, archaeologists in the Netherlands are reluctant to engage in political decision making. The future of the past is too important to leave solely in the hands of politicians. Archaeology should play a more important role in society; therefore, archaeologists should speak up in the social and political debate.

Van Tomb Raider naar de toekomst: de ontwikkeling van een archeologische tentoonstelling

From Tomb Raider to the future. The development of an archaeological exhibition. During the first semester of the academic year 2019/2020, master’s students of the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA) of the University of Groningen collaborated with staff of the University Museum to create the exhibition DIG IT ALL, showcasing research of the GIA. This contribution is based on an interview the author had with Arjen Dijkstra, head of the University Museum, in which Dijkstra reflected on the cooperation between the archaeology students and the museum. According to Arjen, the collaboration was a complex but rewarding project, even if some guidance was initially needed to get everyone on the same page. All in all, the project resulted in a valuable learning experience for everyone, especially the students, and, according to Dijkstra, it revealed some unique features of the archaeological profession, for instance, the way archaeologists interact with human remains and, more generally, the way they view the past. Collaborations with scientists are never perfect, according to Dijkstra, and the museum had indeed experienced less fruitful collaborations than the current one. Scientists tend to have difficulty in adapting to the specific demands of a museum when presenting research. Fortunately, this was not a problem with the DIG IT ALL project. Dijkstra highlighted that the archaeologists had already put a lot of effort into public outreach, and he encourages the GIA to keep doing this in the future.