Research

Karsten finished his dissertation in 2020 on Late Neolithic funerary practices. Currently, he is working on various research projects. As a continuation of his PhD research, he is currently investigating the earliest gold ornaments from the Netherlands. He is involved in the research on the Bronze Age Ommerschans sword and has an advisory role for an upcoming exhibition on the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities.

Curriculum vitae

Karsten Wentink started his studies in 2001 at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University. He did a combined bachelors in both archaeological sciences (focus on functional analysis at the Laboratory for Artefact Studies) and prehistoric archaeology (with a focus on the Neolithic of North-West Europe). In 2004 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and was admitted to the newly established Research Masters Program. He graduated with the judicium cum laude in 2006. His MPhil thesis, “Ceci n’est pas une hache”, focussed on Middle Neolithic axe depositions. For his thesis, he was awarded the W.A. van Es-prize.

During his studies, he worked on various research projects and was involved in various University-led research projects, such as the excavation of the Neolithic site at Schipluiden and an archaeological field project in Malawi, Africa. After his studies, he was appointed as a research assistant and junior lecturer in 2006 (temporarily replacing prof. dr. Annelou van Gijn). Between 2006 and 2008, he worked as a research assistant for both the Laboratory for Artefact Studies and the Prehistory Department at Leiden University. In 2007 he co-founded the academic publishing house Sidestone Press where he still works today as co-director.

In 2008 he started his PhD research at the Leiden Faculty of Archaeology as part of the NWO-funded Ancestral Mounds project. He (co-) authored and edited several papers, chapters and books. When the PhD funding stopped in 2012, he started working full-time for Sidestone Press while continuing his PhD research. He defended his dissertation “Stereotype” in 2020. In addition, he is currently also involved in a research project focussing on the Ommerschans sword and aims to continue his research in the future.

Publications

Activities