I love old things. I grew up in the Limburg village of Sint-Geertruid, where I spent a lot of time playing outside. I was always bringing rocks home – the area is known for its prehistoric flint mines – and displaying my finds in my room. On birthdays, my family would come and have a look at my collection. I was an adventurous child with a vivid imagination. Growing up in a place with such a rich history sets you on a path. It plants a seed. I’m convinced it’s different from growing up in a polder in the western Netherlands. In secondary school, I became more of a dreamer. I hardly gave any thought to what I wanted to do with my life. I went to Maastricht to study law, one of those degrees you choose when you don’t really know what you want to do. One day, I spent hours watching people carry out fieldwork on the remains of a Roman bridge in the river Maas. I’d thought about studying archaeology before, but that was the moment it clicked. I finished my first year and then moved to Leiden.
The first thing I do when I get home… is cuddle Oskar. He’s four months old now. The first few weeks with a newborn are very abstract. Babies can’t do much. He’s becoming more interactive now, responding more and more. What kind of father do I want to be? I want to give Oskar the freedom to develop his own personality, discover his passions and explore the world, while still setting boundaries. The book How to Raise a Viking puts it well: you always have to make clear why something isn’t allowed. Keep communicating.
"Like me, my father doesn't have much hair left; we resemble each other. Also in terms of character"
My taste in music… is eclectic. My parents listened to classical music. I brought myself up on Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan. I’m also fond of blues and country. I sing Beppie Kraft songs to Oskar and speak to him in dialect. It’s a bit of a mixture, though – my roots are in Sint-Geertruid and my parents are from Nieuwenhagen and Kerkrade.
Who do you take after? My father, I think. He doesn’t have much hair left either. [Laughs] But we’re quite similar in character as well, although he may be slightly more reserved. He worked for the police in Maastricht, a male-dominated world. He disapproved of people attempting to advance at the expense of others and wasn’t afraid to say so, which didn’t always make him popular. Other than him, I never really followed anyone’s example or had a role model. Indiana Jones? [Laughs] Maybe – but without the whip.
I miss Limburg. It still feels like home to me. Every time I leave, I feel homesick. Ten years ago, I bought a piece of land with large fruit trees, to have a patch of Limburg to call my own. It’s close to my parents’ house. I love being there in nature. I would like to move back south, but when? I have a wonderful job in Leiden at the National Museum of Antiquities, close to the university. That would all change – not necessarily for the worse, but my life would become more regional. I feel like it’s too early to let go of what I have now, but at the same time I know it would be a shame to wait until retirement. Perhaps I should take that step earlier, but I find it very difficult.
"The excavations originally drew me to archaeology"
Who does the cooking at home? Frederike, my lovely girlfriend, who brings calm and stability to our home. I know how to cook, and I do it once or twice a week, but I rush it too much and don’t put as much love into it. I hope I make up for that with other jobs in and around the house.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? [Thinks] During excavations, when you’re working closely with a team, you tend to develop bad jokes and a peculiar kind of humour together. Sadly, I don’t get to do many digs anymore – I’m too busy with other work – but it’s what originally drew me to archaeology. I’ve been to a lot of different places: the Middle East, the Caribbean. Sometimes it felt like one big adventure.
"I’m not afraid of getting older, but I can see time catching up with me"
What is your biggest pitfall? I tend to get a strong sense of FOMO, fear of missing out. My work is my passion. I have so many interests, I’m ambitious and I quickly feel like I’m missing out if I don’t do it all. That’s why I tend to say yes to things, and the balance can tip. My appointment as Dubois Visiting Professor is an extra commitment as well. I’m very pleased with it, though. Archaeology is highly multidisciplinary, and I want to use my field to look at history and society in different ways.
When I look in the mirror… I see someone who is changing. I still recognise myself, but I can see time catching up with me. I’m not afraid of getting older, but sometimes I feel like it’s happening very quickly and wonder if I’ll manage to do everything I still want to.
What would you be if you weren’t an archaeologist? As a child, I wanted to be a knight or an astronaut. They do archaeological work on the International Space Station – I would’ve liked that. But honestly, I can’t imagine ever doing anything other than what I do now: finding, investigating and exploring traces, and sometimes gaining a new perspective on the distant past and even the present.