Archaeology of the Caribbean and Amazonia

Professor Hofman

Professor Corinne Hofman

“I work with scientists from the social sciences, physical sciences and humanities.”

“A relatively high number of international master’s and PhD students take the classes in Caribbean Archaeology, for which I have been awarded a number of prestigious subsidies, including VIDI and VICI awards from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Not only students from America and Canada come to study here, but also from the Caribbean region itself.

Contrary to what was originally assumed, there was a continuous exchange between the Caribbean islands themselves and with the mainland of South and Central America. The inhabitants of the small island of Saba (Netherlands Antilles), for example, obtained axes from St. Martin and flint from Antigua. In this programme I bring out the details of this mobility.

The university in Gainsville, Florida, also specialises in Caribbean archaeology but there the emphasis is on archaeozoology. I am an Affiliate Professor at that university and two of my former students are now PhD students in Gainsville.

My research is multidisciplinary: I work with scientists from the social sciences, physical sciences and humanities, and I carry out DNA and isotope research, as well as anthropological, linguistic and historical research. I involve my students closely in this research; together we work on creating a better understanding of pre-colonial Carribean society. Students also assist with congresses, write articles and compile reviews for scientific articles. This is possible because we work in relatively small groups, of some twenty or so students.”