Karsten Lambers

Karsten Lambers is Professor of Digital and Computational Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, where he leads research and teaching in the application of computational methods to archaeological data. His work integrates machine learning, remote sensing, text mining, and citizen science to advance archaeological prospection and heritage management. He is affiliated with the Department of Archaeological Sciences and plays key roles in research groups and university-wide initiatives such as SAILS and ARCHON.

His research interests span Digital Archaeology, Machine Learning in Archaeology, Remote Sensing, Geoarchaeology, and Human-Environment Interaction. He investigates how computational tools can extract meaningful archaeological information from large datasets, including LiDAR imagery and excavation reports. His fieldwork spans Central Europe and Latin America, with a focus on prehistoric landscapes and cultural heritage.

The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward automated detection using deep learning (e.g., R-CNN, WODAN), named entity recognition in archaeological texts (e.g., ArcheoBERTje), and citizen science integration for data validation. His work bridges archaeology with computer science, geomatics, and environmental science, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological rigor.

His scientific awards include:

• Best Thesis Award (University of Zurich, 2005)
• EUROPA NOSTRA Award (2020, 2022)
• Membership in the German Archaeological Institute (since 2022)

Lambers actively supervises students and leads major research projects such as ABMA, EXALT, and Heritage Quest. He has secured substantial research funding and collaborates widely with computer scientists, geophysicists, and palaeoecologists. His teaching includes digital methods, modeling, and simulation, often linked to ongoing research. He has also contributed to open educational resources and digital textbooks in archaeology.

He leads or participates in several research labs and teams, including the Digital Archaeology Research Group (which he chairs), the Heritage Quest citizen science project, and interdisciplinary teams focusing on alpine terraces and Iraqi prospection. His work emphasizes the integration of digital tools into practical archaeological workflows, advocating for complementary human-computer strategies.