Harm Tjalling "Tjalling" Waterbolk (18 May 1924 – 27 September 2020) was a Dutch archaeologist. He was a professor of archaeology and director of the Biological-Archaeological Institute at the
University of Groningen
The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...
between 1954 and 1987.
Waterbolk was known for his
interdisciplinary approach and combined his work in archaeology with insights in
nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
and
landscapes. He worked in a wide variety of countries, but had special interest in the Northern part of the Netherlands and especially his home province of
Drenthe.
Early life
Waterbolk was born on 18 May 1924 in
Havelte
Havelte ( Drèents: ''Haovelte'' or ''Haovelt'') is a village in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Westerveld, Drenthe, about 60 km (37.2 mi) south-southwest of Groningen and 120 km (74.5 mi) northeast o ...
.
His father Albert was the
municipal clerk
A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...
''(Dutch: gemeentesecretaris)'' of Havelte.
From an early age Waterbolk had an interest in
nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
, with this interest being supported by his parents, teachers and townspeople of Havelte. In 1942 he became a member of the during his youth, which further strengthened his interest in nature.
[ Waterbolk attended the ]University of Groningen
The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...
to study biology and later botany. During this period he familiarized himself with phytosociology
Phytosociology, also known as phytocoenology or simply plant sociology, is the study of groups of species of plant that are usually found together. Phytosociology aims to empirically describe the vegetative environment of a given territory. A spec ...
through mentor Victor Westhoff. Only in 1945 he became familiarized with archaeology when he met Albert Egges van Giffen
Albert Egges van Giffen (14 March 1884 – 31 May 1973) was a Dutch archaeologist. Van Giffen worked at the University of Groningen and University of Amsterdam, where he was a professor of Prehistory and Germanic archaeology. He worked most of his ...
, who was looking for someone with knowledge of palynology
Palynology is the "study of dust" (from grc-gre, παλύνω, palynō, "strew, sprinkle" and ''-logy'') or of "particles that are strewn". A classic palynologist analyses particulate samples collected from the air, from water, or from deposit ...
.[ Waterbolk would work as an assistant for Van Giffen between 1945 and 1951.][ In 1946 he performed his first excavation, in his home town of Havelte.][ Since Waterbolk had signed the during World War II, he was prevented from taking exams until 1948.][ In 1949 he spent half a year with Danish palaeoecologist Johannes Iversen.][ Waterbolk worked for the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij between 1951 and 1954.][ He obtained his ]doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...
at the University of Groningen in 1954 with a thesis titled: ''De praehistorische mens en zijn milieu : een palynologisch onderzoek naar de menselijke invloed op de plantengroei van de diluviale gronden in Nederland''.[
]
Career and research
After obtaining his PhD Waterbolk was appointed professor of archaeology at the University of Groningen the same year and he succeeded Albert Egges van Giffen
Albert Egges van Giffen (14 March 1884 – 31 May 1973) was a Dutch archaeologist. Van Giffen worked at the University of Groningen and University of Amsterdam, where he was a professor of Prehistory and Germanic archaeology. He worked most of his ...
in this position.[ He had a teaching assignment in Prehistoric and ]Germanic archaeology
Early Germanic culture refers to the culture of the early Germanic peoples. Largely derived from a synthesis of Proto-Indo-European society, Proto-Indo-European and indigenous Northern European elements, the Germanic culture started to exist i ...
. Apart from being professor Waterbolk also served as director of the Biological-Archaeological Institute of the University.[ He retired in 1987.][ After retiring Waterbolk made a further 120 academic publications.][
Waterbolk's archaeological work spanned a period between the ]prehistory
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...
and the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
.[ He had influence in the development and usage of radiocarbon dating and ]palynology
Palynology is the "study of dust" (from grc-gre, παλύνω, palynō, "strew, sprinkle" and ''-logy'') or of "particles that are strewn". A classic palynologist analyses particulate samples collected from the air, from water, or from deposit ...
in the Netherlands.[ During his career he performed excavations in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Syria (]Bouqras
Bouqras is a large, oval shaped, prehistoric, Neolithic Tell, about in size, located around from Deir ez-Zor in Syria.
Excavation
The tell was discovered in 1960 by Dutch geomorphologist, Willem van Liere. It was excavated between 1960 an ...
), Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
(Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
) and Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. He had a special interest in the Northern Netherlands and the province of Drenthe where he led excavations in Odoorn, Elp and Gasselte. He looked intensively into the spread of agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
in societies. Waterbolk also had an academic interest in house plan
A house plan is a set of construction or working drawings (sometimes called blueprints) that define all the construction specifications of a residential house such as the dimensions, materials, layouts, installation methods and techniques.
Drawi ...
s and cultural landscapes.[ In his works he combined ]geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
, soil science
Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to th ...
, biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
, physical and historical geography
Historical geography is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time. It is a synthesizing discipline which shares both topical and methodological similarities with history, anthropology, eco ...
.[ Waterbolk was considered as one of the most eminent post-World War II archaeologists of the Netherlands, having shaped archaeology in the Netherlands together with and Pieter J.R. Modderman.][
Waterbolk was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1970.
]
Tjerk Vermaning case
Waterbolk was known for his involvement in surfacing the archaeological forgery case of Tjerk Vermaning of the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1960s Vermaning stated that he had found stone tools, which were dated back to thousands of years by Waterbolk.[ In 1973 Waterbolk still applauded Vermaning for his discoveries while his assistant, Dick Stapert, was performing his doctoral studies on the findings of Vermaning. However, in 1975 Stapert concluded that they were forgeries.] Vermaning was subsequently prosecuted for forgery and fraud. He was first convicted and on appeal acquitted.[
The case caused a deterioration in the relations between academic and amateur archaeologists in the Northern Netherlands and led to death threats against Waterbolk and Stapert.] It also did not leave Waterbolk without criticism, especially whether he could have surfaced the forgeries at an earlier stage.[ Even after retiring Waterbolk tried to clear-up the details of the case and in 2003 wrote the book ''Scherpe stenen op mijn pad'' about his views on the case.]
Personal life
In 2015 the book ''Werk van Eeuwen'' by Jos Bazelmans en Jan Kolen, describing conversations with Waterbolk was published. In 2019, at age 95, he published his autobiography, ''Veranderend leven''.
Waterbolk was married to a botanical analyst, he met his wife at the Nederlandse Jeugdbond voor Natuur.[ He once stated that the most beautiful thing he ever dug up was his wife.][ Waterbolk was an honorary member of .][
Waterbolk died on 27 September 2020 in ]Haren, Groningen
Haren (; gos, Hoaren) is a town and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands located in the direct urban area of the City of Groningen.
Haren is a typical commuting municipality with many wealthy inhabitants. It lies on the northe ...
, aged 96.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterbolk, Tjalling
1924 births
2020 deaths
Dutch archaeologists
Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
People from Westerveld
University of Groningen alumni
Academic staff of the University of Groningen