History and archaeology

Could we really learn something from the past? Some people claim that human kind will continue repeating the same mistakes. Anyhow, true or not... a historical approach very often makes the present more understandable or more interesting. Historical or archaeological knowledge will change your view on yourself, your environment (wherever you are), politics, culture, the news and even old family videos. And if you come to the conclusion that history consists of stories from different sides, which can be manipulated, then you can truly enter a new world.

Good practices from our Faculty

"The colonial past, with all its wealth and repression, has shaped us as humans and as a society. I want to explore how the unequal distribution of power and opportunity relates to what happened in the past."

If you think the history of slavery only concerns Dutch people with roots in Surinam or the Antilles, you are wrong. The book “Sporen van het slavernijverleden in Groningen” shows the connection of the local history with slavery. Lecturer in Modern History Barbara Henkes and PhD-student Margriet Fokken take us on a journey (by foot or bike) to discover these connections in the city and the province of Groningen. More information (in Dutch) on: Sporen van het slavernijverleden in Groningen

"A Landscape Biography is scientifically sound, so based on reliable knowledge, but also worth reading for the public."

Humans our not the only ones with a history, the landscape also shows imprints of natural change and human habitation. If these imprints become more visible to you, it may enhance your appreciation of the landscape. For policy makers and architects this can lead to treating the landscape with more respect. The Centre for Landscape Studies aims to open up this specialised knowledge for a broad public. More information on: My region

"Most people don't have a clue that this type of houses were present in their local area. You can tell them, but now they can see for themselves.”

The Yeb Hettinga Museum in Firdgum wanted to show their visitors how people used to live in this Frisian region. Would that be possible? As a student of archaeology Daniël Postma started a preliminary investigation. Along the way the project expanded and more and more organisations became involved, bringing their own expertise. It lead to a PhD project and the actual construction of an early medieval turf house. More information on the project: Archaeologist builds early Medieval turf house

Centers of Expertise

Within the area of history and archeology you can find several Centers of Expertise in our faculty. These centers can make a connection between researchers and practitioners in various fields. In some cases also interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research is pursued.

National Research Agenda

Research in the Faculty of Arts in the area of history and archeology is important to Dutch society. The National Research Agenda identified routes for societal relevant research. For history and archeology the most important routes are:

Living history
Towards resilient societies
Quality of the living environment