Sam de Ruiter is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Archaeology.

More information about Sam de Ruiter

Sam de Ruiter obtained both her Bachelor’s and Research Master’s degrees from Leiden University, specializing in Caribbean Archaeology. In her Research Master’s thesis, Sam documented and mapped archaeological sites within a small region in the northwestern Dominican Republic to identify patterns in site locations and explore the social landscape of the past.

For her PhD research, Sam shifted focus to the Lesser Antilles, where she employs GIS and digital archaeology to discern changes in indigenous settlement patterns across the historical divide. She investigates the characteristics, continuity, and changes in site locations within the cultural and social context of the islands, ultimately examining the impact of early colonization on existing settlement patterns.

In this PhD project, Sam combines data from decades of previous studies, archaeological fieldwork, and (ethno)historical accounts. The investigation of data from diverse sources—each with varying quality and availability—requires a comprehensive approach that emphasizes meticulous data management and clearly documented analytical methodologies. Sam’s broader research interests include exploring the possibilities and limitations of analyzing large and complex datasets.

Office Days

Fridays.