Corinne Hofman

Corinne Hofman is a Professor of Caribbean Archaeology at Leiden University and Dean of its Faculty of Archaeology since 2013. She leads the Caribbean Research Group, the largest of its kind globally, focusing on indigenous history, colonial encounters, and cultural heritage.

• BA in Art History and Archaeology, Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB)
• MA in Pre-Columbian Archaeology, Leiden University (1987)
• PhD in Caribbean Ceramics, Leiden University

Her research spans Caribbean archaeology, mobility and exchange, ceramic analysis, bioarchaeology, and network science. She integrates settlement archaeology with ethnohistoric studies to explore pre-colonial and colonial dynamics.

Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary trends in Caribbean studies, including isotopic dietary analysis, climate adaptation, microbiome reconstruction, and network modeling. These works emphasize intercultural interactions and heritage preservation.

• Spinoza Prize (NWO, 2014)
• KNAW-Merian Prize (2013)

Hofman has mentored numerous PhD candidates and led large-scale projects like Nexus 1492 (ERC Synergy grant) and Island Networks (NWO Open Competition grant), examining colonial encounters and climate impacts on Caribbean heritage.