Lotte Nagelhout is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Archaeology.

More information about Lotte Nagelhout

Office days

Monday to Wednesday

Research

Lotte Nagelhout's research interests include osteoarchaeology and paleopathology, with a spatiotemporal focus on the late medieval and early modern Netherlands. During her PhD research, she will investigate the prevalence and impact of sexual disease, specifically syphilis, from the late medieval and early modern Netherlands to shed light on sexual health and sexual health practices. Although topics such as the heavily debated origin of syphilis have often been the subject of academic research, a more holistic understanding of the impact of the infection and other venereal diseases on affected individuals as well as the wider society in the past remains limited.

This study aims to offer a more nuanced understanding of venereal diseases in the past by employing paleopathological analysis of osteoarchaeological assemblages from Dutch infirmary contexts. This bioarchaeological study is complimented by historical research to gain a better understanding of the local societal responses and sexual health practices, as well as biomolecular research to investigate potential treatment methods.

Curriculum vitae

Lotte Nagelhout obtained her Bachelor's degree in Archaeology with a specialisation in Osteoarchaeology from Leiden University in 2021. She continued this specialisation with a Research Master of Science at Leiden University, from which she graduated cum laude in the fall of 2023. Her RMSc thesis, which served as a pilot study for her PhD, focussed on the paleopathological study of syphilis and biomolecular identification of mercury as treatment in human skeletal remains from a late medieval infirmary in Kampen, the Netherlands.

During her studies, Lotte has worked as Chief Student Officer and student representative at EUniWell, a European university alliance, and as secretary for the Board of Examiners at the Faculty of Archaeology. She has also served as teaching assistant for multiple osteology-related BA and MSc courses.