Earth sciences in degree programmes in archaeology and in archaeological commercial practices in The Netherlands

Earth sciences are generally considered an important science discipline and a key in the solution of present societal problems. They are also important for interpreting the development of mankind in the past. The dynamics of landscapes are strongly intertwined with occupation patterns and are essential to interpret and date stratigraphical sequences linked to archaeological sites. Archaeologists thus need to have knowledge of earth sciences. But are they really educated in this field of sciences? This article discusses the way earth sciences are part of educational programmes in archaeology of several renowned international universities and compares them to the Dutch archaeological degree programmes. Next, it discusses the role of earth scientists and the application of earth science in the Dutch archaeological commercial practice and argues that earth sciences are not used to its fullest potential. Vice versa, also earth scientists can benefit from a more integrated approach, since they use archaeological data sparsely. It is argued that the present multidisciplinary approach should be turned into a transdisciplinary approach that already starts in the educational system, which may result in more innovative research outcomes in today’s archaeological practices.