University of Leiden, The Netherlands

Leiden University

Leiden University is the oldest university in The Netherlands, founded in 1575. The university was a gift from Willem of Orange to the citizens of Leiden after withstanding a long siege by the Spanish. The university motto is Praesidium Libertatis, Bastion of Liberty, as it was the first university in The Netherlands to practice freedom of belief and religion.

The academy building, the oldest part of Leiden University.

Leiden University is an international research university and consists of seven faculties: archaeology, humanities, medicine, law, social and behavioral sciences, and science. Within these faculties 49 Bachelor programmes and 95 Master's programmes are offered. Teaching and research are closely interrelated, there are two variants of the Master's programme, a regular one-year Master's programme, and a more challenging two-year Research Master's variant which involves more research and prepares the student for a PhD.

In 1818 Caspar Reuvens became the first professor in archaeology in the world, and since then the Leiden's archaeology institute has grown into the largest in The Netherlands. The Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University is the only one of its kind in the world. Renowned professors, like Prof. John Bintliff (Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology), Prof. Wil Roebroeks (Human Origins), Prof. Willem Willems (World Heritage), Prof. Maarten Jansen (Mesoamerican Archaeology), and Prof. Corinne Hofman (Caribbean Archaeology), work in the faculty. They teach classes to all students and students are offered an opportunity to participate in their research projects.

Courses and specializations offered

Apart from a Bachelor in archaeology, Leiden University offers the most diverse Master programme in archaeology in The Netherlands. There are 12 Master of Arts programmes and 3 Master of Science programmes offered in several regional and thematic specializations. The education programmes are linked directly to research, and the Faculty staff is involved in projects all over the world. The in-depth knowledge of a specific cultural area is combined with knowledge of general methods and theories in archaeology as well as knowledge of debates on developing new methods.

There is an additional focus on the use of information technology and computer archaeology. In the Bachelor's programme a specialization in Computer Archaeology directed by Dr Hans Kamermans is offered in year three, providing the students with an opportunity to learn more about data collection and analysis using digital recording methods. Over the summer a workshop is organized within the ArchaeoLandscapes project, focusing on ground based digital recording techniques.

ArcLand project involvement

• August 2011: Ancient Koroneia, digital recording of architectural remains from the project of Prof. Bintliff in the province of Boeotia, Greece.
• August 2012: Ground based digital recording workshop in Ostia and Isernia, Italy
• August 2013: Digital recording workshop in the Mediterranean area.

Students at work during the first part of the Leiden Technical workshop 2012

Satellite image with grid overlay from the Koroneia 2011 fieldschool

Contact Details

Dr Hanna Sötger: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dr Hans Kamermans: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Prof. John Bintliff: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Address:
Leiden University
Faculty of Archaeology
Reuvensplaats 2-4
2311 BE Leiden
The Netherlands

Mail-Address:
P.O.Box 9515
2300 RA Leiden