Lieke Bes

While working toward my first BA degree in History at Utrecht University (NL), I took an elective course in archaeology which inspired me to start a second Bachelor alongside my first. I did my BA in Archaeology at Leiden University (NL), during which I specialised in osteoarchaeology, including stable isotope analysis for diet reconstruction. I have done multiple internships, such as the excavation of the New Church in Delft, the Netherlands, where hundreds of inhumation remains were found.

I briefly worked at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden during this time, where I compiled a list of ‘top finds’ of Dutch archaeology done in the 21st century to add to the educational website ‘Archeologie op de Kaart’.

I proceeded with an MSc in Archaeological Science (also at Leiden University), which I completed in 2024. For my Master thesis I examined diet at the Late to post-Medieval village of Koudekerke, Zeeland (NL) through stable C and N isotope analysis. After graduating, I stayed at Leiden University for a year to work as a research assistant on a project examining human remains from the Early Medieval emporium site of Dorestad (NL). This project involved a study of diet and mobility through C, N, Sr, O and S isotope analysis.

I am now happy to be enrolled as a joint PhD candidate in History and Archaeology at the VUB and UGent as part of the LOCO project.