PREFACE The Faculty of Archaeology proudly presents this research brochure, with portraits of a group of passionate, dedicated researchers introducing a dazzling scala of research topics: from present-day traditional knowledge in Africa to the power of glue in Palaeolithic Europe. In addition to these examples of the Faculty’s research projects, the importance of public outreach is also addressed.
At the Faculty of Archaeology multidisciplinary research in World Archaeology, Archaeological Sciences and Archaeological Heritage studies is brought together. Researchers are all engaged with the past, but each from the perspective of their own specific expertise. After a period in which expansion of research activities in new fields was realised (osteo-archaeology, heritage archaeology), the focus in the coming years will be to consolidate research in the fields in which the Faculty has been very successful over the last years, and aims to continue. The Faculty has grown considerably over the last few years. At the same time, society poses new challenges and expects a growing commitment from academic research. There is an increasing emphasis on societal relevance and valorisation, issues that are already ingrained in the research of many Faculty members. The Faculty seeks to engage all the research groups in the potential societal relevance of their work, to be aware of the potential impacts of their work beyond academe – economic, social, policy, quality of life - on non-academic audiences. The Faculty PhD researchers form a highly international, close-knit community and are fully integrated in the activities of their research groups. At present there are around 30 postdoctoral researchers attached to the Faculty. This large number is due to the successes in obtaining substantial (inter)national research grants. Postdocs are working on the cutting-edge of research and often have very different research backgrounds. As such postdocs are an important peer group in its own right, crucial to the Faculty in intellectual and strategic terms. The Faculty has started to organise postdoc-meetings, to confer with the group about their expectations and ambitions, and to establish how the Faculty can help to meet their needs and wishes. A Faculty postdoc community will help researchers to discover mutual research themes and interests, to learn from each other, to widen their professional network, and to better prepare for the next step in their career. Further development of the Faculty’s postdoc policy and community will remain a priority for the years to come. Not just the past and present matter, but also the future!
Prof. dr. Corinne Hofman, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology Prof. dr. David Fontijn, Chair Research of the Faculty of Archaeology September 2016
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