Henk Kars

Expertise

Professor Kars has a background in mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry. After having finished his PhD Early-Medieval Dorestad, an Archaeo-Petrological Study, he performed between 1984-1994, in close cooperation with specialists in different areas of science, a variety of archeometric studies in the fields of provenancing (stone, ceramics), ancient technology (iron production), dating (geomagnetism, 14C, dendrochronology) and (geochemical) prospection, which has resulted in a high number of papers in international, often peer-reviewed, journals.

Since 1995 the research subjects changed from main stream science in archaeology to the in situ preservation of archaeological heritage. This is demonstrated by the participation and coordination of EC-projects that studied the in situ deterioration of the metal artifact, bone and wood. Today he is an internationally acknowledged expert with regard to the preservation of archeological remains in situ.
In addition to this he has been member of the management team of the Dutch National Service for Archaeological Heritage (ROB) for more than five years.

His career at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) started in 1994 where he was appointed, on a part time basis, to the first chair of Archaeometry in the Netherlands. In 1997 he became director of the post-academic course "Management van Archeologische Projecten" (projectmanagement for archaeologists), which is performed within a partnership of both universities of Amsterdam and ROB. Since 2002 he has been a fulltime professor Geo- en Bioarchaeology at the VU and director of the newly established Institute for Geo- and Bioarchaeology.

Recent projects

• The development of a method for the prospection, characterization and inspection of archaeological sites and landscapes in the Netherlands, using a multidisciplinary approach (Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Research (NWO)
• Sustainability and archaeological heritage. The deterioration of botanical (macro)remains with regard to the physical protection of archaeological sites and landscapes in the Netherlands (NWO)
• Watermanagement and archaeological heritage (NWO)
• Ancient technology and preservation state of the Roman-Iron Age settlement at Raalte, Netherlands (contract research)

Selected publications

• Kars H & RM van Heeringen (eds.)2008: Preserving archaeological remains in situ. Proceedings of the 3rd conference 7-9 December 2006, Amsterdam Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological studies 10, VU University Amsterdam (326 pp.)
• Kars H & E Burke (eds) 2005: Proceedings of the 33rd symposium on Archaeometry, Amsterdam 2002 (Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological studies 3), VU University Amsterdam (568 pp.).
• Kars H, LM Kootker, SJ Kluiving, K Zachos 2005: Nikopolis, A Roman and Byzantine site in Epirus, Greece; Preliminary report on the first season, Pharos 13, 39-57.
• Kars, H. 2002: Archaeometry in the Netherlands: Facilities, Research and Education, in: Archaeometry in Europe in the Third Millenium (international symposium 2001 Rome), Academia Nazionale die Lincei, Rome, 109-133.
• Jans M.M.E., Kars, H, Nielsen-Marsh, C.M., Smith, C.I., Nord, A.G., Arthur, P., Earl, N. 2002: In Situ Preservation of Archaeological Bone. A Histological Study within a Multidisciplinary Approach, Archaeometry 44, 343-52.
• Kars, E.A.K. & Kars, H. 2002: The Degradation of Bone as an Indicator in the Deterioration of the European Archaeological Property. Final Report, with Appendices A-H; Project ENV4-CT98-0712, internal report European Commission, Brussels (297 pp).
•  Kars, H., 2000: Of Archaeological Heritage Management and Environmental Archaeometry, in H Moorman & R Docter (eds.) Proceedings of the XVth International Congress of Classical Archaeology 1998, Amsterdam, 135-42.
• Joosten I, & Kars, H., 1999: Early Historical Iron Production in the Netherlands: Estimations of the Output, in: S Young, M Pollard, P Budd & RA Ixer (Eds) Metallurgy in Antiquity 1997, Harvard/Boston (BAR International Series 792), 243-51.
• Kars, H. 1998: Preserving our in situ Archaeological Property: A Challenge to the Geochemical Engineer, Journal of Geochemical Exploration 62, 139-47.
• Willems, W.J.H., Kars, H., & Hallewas, D., 1997 Archaeological Heritage Management in the Netherlands. Fifty Years State Service for Archaeological Investigations. Assen/Amersfoort (359 pp).
•  Kars, H., Bakels, C.C., & Jansen, J.B.H., 1997: Science-Based Archaeology: Future Needs for Facilities and Instrumentation, in: J Irvine, B Martin & R Gathier (Eds): Equipping Science for the 21st Century. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Equipping Science for the 21st Century, Amsterdam 1992, Cheltenham (UK)/Lyme (US), 218-36