The Isotope Archaeology team at the VU is playing leading roles in numerous national and international research projects, providing innovative new sampling techniques, the analysis of small sample sizes, developing new isoscapes and applying new isotopic techniques, such as Nd isotopes for human provenancing.
The VU has established strong and successful collaborations with the national University archaeology departments VU, Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Groningen museums Naturalis Biodiversity Centre , Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency RCE , government bodies provinces, municipalities and their archaeological services, and numerous independent archaeological excavation companies in the Netherlands e.
These collaborative projects have resulted in invaluable new insights into palaeomobility patterns and palaeodietary preferences of Dutch pre historic populations. Two of the major recent projects have focussed on Caribbean Archaeology developing from a long standing collaboration with Prof Corinne Hofman at Leiden University. NEXUS addresses intercultural Amerindian-European-African dynamics at multiple temporal and spatial scales across the historical divide of Following the highly successful completion of the ERC project, NEXUS collaborator continue to address intercultural Amerindian-European-African dynamics at multiple temporal and spatial scales across the historical divide of This trans-disciplinary synergy project developed new analytical tools, applied multi-disciplinary cutting-edge techniques, evaluated theoretical frameworks and transferred skill sets to provide a novel perspective on New World encounters in a globalizing world.
Cooperating with local experts we developed sustainable heritage management strategies, creating a future for the past. A past which is under threat from looting, illegal trade, construction development, and natural disasters e.
The exhibition will initially be displayed in 12 museums across the Caribbean, with plans to travel further to other Caribbean countries in the future.
