Meet the Expert: Sasja van der Vaart - Verschoof
Dr. Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof is one of the curators for the current 'Bronze Age' exhibition at the National Museum of Antiquities (RMO). As a freelance archaeologist, editor, and specialist in museum and communication strategies, she brings a wealth of expertise to her projects. LeidenGlobal interviewed her about her research and her experience in creating the Bronze Age exhibition.
Dr. Van der Vaart-Verschoof completed her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees at the faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University. While her main expertise lies in the Iron Age, she works on a variety of different research projects, including on ancient textiles and on Doggerland. Being specialised in Iron Age burial practices, she has played a big role in the archaeological research on the elite burial in Oss for many years. She also co-edited the recently published book Chariots on Fire, Reins of Power, which provides the first comprehensive overview of 5th century BC elite graves from the Lower Rhine-Meuse region.
Over the years, she has worked with the National Museum of Antiquities on multiple occasions and also served as a curator at the Drents Museum. Thanks to her extensive knowledge and network of hyperspecialists, she became somewhat of an intermediary in coordinating specialties.
Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof recently contributed to the National Museum of Antiquities' new Bronze Age exhibition as assistant curator. She played a key role in selecting objects from various museums, coordinating with scientists, and conducting research on the artefacts and their stories. Alongside curator Luc Amkreutz, she also co-edited the exhibition book.
What she enjoyed most about working as a curator for this exhibition, was engaging with the different artefacts. "I’m a major object nerd", she mentioned. "We had all these incredible objects come in from all over Europe, which are top finds of the Bronze Age. Being able to handle objects that are 3000 years old and see the little details on them, was my absolute favourite part of it. Those little details can show how people interacted with these artefacts all those years ago. Being able to handle these objects is both a very special and rare experience."
The reactions on the exhibition have been very positive so far, though it has been a challenging exhibition to market. "People have a much better idea of what they are going to see when it’s an exhibition about ancient Greece or ancient Egypt. On the other hand, the exhibition is also unique, as it’s the first exhibition in the Netherlands on the Bronze Age."
With the ending of her contract at the museum, dr. Van der Vaart-Verschoof has returned to freelance archaeology, wrapping up articles and research projects. She plans to write books, explore more textile analysis, and is excited about future opportunities.
- She will give an online lecture (in Dutch) on 29 December 2024 about elite burials in the Bronze and Iron age.
- The Bronze Age exhibition at the National Museum of Antiquities will be on display until the 16th of March 2025.
By Eline Raukema, LeidenGlobal Intern
December 2024
Have a look at other LeidenGlobal experts on our experts page