Dita Auzina is a Postdoc researcher at the Faculty of Archaeology.

More information about Dita Auzina

Office days

Monday to Thursday

Current research

My postdoctoral research investigates the emergence and decline of monumentality in Southern Central America during the pre-Columbian period, with a specific focus on the role of non-human actors in this phenomenon. Unlike other regions characterized by large ceremonial architecture and clear social hierarchies, monumentality in Southern Central America often manifests through intricate interactions between humans and the landscape. This is evident in the form of mound complexes integrated into natural settings or rock art that mirrors the surrounding environment.
I employ several case studies of what we classify as monumental sites in Southern Central America to model their relationships, not only with other archaeological sites but, more importantly, with the surrounding environment. My approach combines environmental data, ethnographic information on human-landscape interactions in the region, and geospatial modeling in GIS to explore the role of these monumental sites within the broader environment. I am particularly interested in understanding their responses to significant environmental events such as hurricanes or deforestation.
My primary case study focuses on Kukra Hill, located on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. In collaboration with colleagues, I am gathering data on various environmental factors to gain a deeper understanding of the emergence and resilience of a large mound complex within a landscape characterized by mangroves, marshes, extensive river systems, and rainforests that has traditionally been considered as inhabited by hunter-gatherers.

Teaching activities

I have taught Master's level courses on material culture theory and methods at Bonn University in Germany, as well as courses on Caribbean and Central American regional studies at Riga Stradins University in Latvia.
n addition, I have conducted numerous courses for professionals at various levels in archaeology, focusing on GIS and surveying technologies, including total stations (TS), differential GPS (DGPS), drone-based photogrammetry, and other digital technologies. Notably, from 2017 to 2022, I taught heritage emergency documentation techniques to Iraqi archaeologists as part of the British Museum's Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme.

Although I am not currently teaching during my postdoctoral position in Leiden, I am pleased to offer opportunities for students to participate in fieldwork projects.

Curriculum vitae

My research experience focuses thematically on Central America and the Caribbean, and methodologically on the application of digital methods to explore human-environment relationships. Over the past eight years, I have conducted archaeological, ethnographical, and archival fieldwork in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. In 2020, during my PhD, I established an independent archaeological research project in Kukra Hill, Nicaragua. This project has generated a significant volume of new data from a region that had previously been underexplored.
In addition, I have contributed to various archaeological projects elsewhere by developing digital solutions and case-based strategies for mapping and surveying archaeological sites. For the British Museum's Iraq Scheme in Tello Girsu, I provided comprehensive topographical mapping, scanning, and 3D modeling of the site, complemented by a systematic archaeological survey aimed at reconstructing the ancient environmental setting and its hinterland. In the Hatta archaeological project in Dubai, I created a geospatial database for documenting archaeological features and researching water management systems.