Teaching Experience

I started teaching at a university level in Summer Term 2008 for B.A. and M.A. study programs. Since then, I have given more than 70 courses, lectures and seminars for archaeology students as well as for students of other majors who did choose a class on an archaeological topic in their interdisciplinary study program. With my Habilitation in 2018 I recieved full teaching permits in Germany, and was as visiting professor in several universities teaching at a professoral level. I did usually choose the topics for my coursesm and was fully responsible for the content and the course design, including the topics for the student presentations and term papers as well as the course bibliography. I was also responsible for the actual teaching, for supervising and evaluating the presentations given by the students, and for the marking of term papers. I am also regularily supervising Bachelor- and Master Theses in archaeology study programs.

I am also regularily counseling PhD-studens and help them in their archaeological work; however, as I am not a professor yet, I am not allowed to be the supervisor for PhD-students at German universities. When students ask me to be the supervisor for their theis, I usually want them to bring their ideas and their main interests in archaeology with them: To me it is important to help them to transfer their ideas and interests into scientific questions and subjects for Bachelor- or Master Theses. I usually do not just give them a topic to work on without their participation. As the students usually want to become future collegaues, I think it is very important to let them have as much agency as possible in their learning process.

To professionalize my academic teaching, I enrolled in the educational sciences study program “Master of Higher Education” at the University of Hamburg in 2014. This study prorgam is designed to be studied while working in academiia and is open for all persons teaching at an university level. I finished this study program in 2017 with a masters thesis on gender and diversity in archaeology B.A. study programs in Germany. Since them, I was also giving workshops on academic teaching for young archaeologists. When I started academic teaching, I found the handbooks and trainings for academic teaching not very helpful for me as an archaeologist, as our main subjects, like objects and traces of past humans as well as remains of past humans themselves, have to be treated and teached differently then texts and images. Usually, students have to learn first how to observe the archaeological record, features and finds, and have to find new ways of thinking for them. To make other colleagues aware of the peculiarities of archaeological teaching and to introduce them to theories and methods of modern academic teaching, I designed the mentioned workshop for young colleagues.

I reflect regularily on my blog archaeologiskop, URL https://archiskop.hypotheses.org/ on my academic teaching. Especially during the Covid-19-Pandemic, when I had to transfer my semiars and lectures to online classes within a few weeks, I did write about this process in some articles there. This articles were also featured and used by other collegaues facing the same problems. During the pandemic, I did also use digital tools to give students the possibility to tell about their expectations and fears in reference to the new way of studying archaeology remotely and digital; with their permission, I did also write about their responses on my blog. Furthermore, I am also researching on archaeology study programs in Germany, and publish regularily about it as well as about teaching methods in archaeology an theoretical approaches to teaching in archaeology in journals and edited volumes.

I am using a wide variety of teaching methods. The choosen methods and approaches depend on the one hand on the type of class and the numbers of students attending, on the other hand on the subject and the previous knowledge I can expect from the students. Whenever possible, I try to include suggestions and requests from the students as well. My favorite type of class, however, are seminars where I can work with the students on archaeological material. The offered position as associate professor in the Department of Archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History would provide much potential to develop courses for students on B.A. and M.A. levels as well as PhD-students to work with them on archaeological material of the museum.

Since several years I am teaching archaeological courses at the following universities:

Freie Universität Berlin
University of Bonn
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittemberg
Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen
Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg
University of Lüneburg

The entries are first sorted by the university where the classes did take place, and second in which term they were offered. For each class, the titel and a brief overwiev over the covered topics are given. The last lines of each entry indicate the type of class, the students it was offered for as well as the exams that took place in it. I was for all courses responsible for content and course design, including the topics for the student presentations and term papers as well as the course bibliography; I was responsible for teaching, for supervising and evaluating the presentations given by the students, and for the marking of term papers.

Teaching at Freie Universität Berlin

Study Programs:

B.A. Altertumswissenschaften, Schwerpunkt Prähistorische Archäologie
M.A. Prähistorische Archäologie

Reading course in Gender Archaeology - from the beginnings to current discussions

reading course - two hours per week, for M.A. students - taught in Winter Term 2021/2022 (partly in person, partly digitally because of ongoing Covid-19-Pandemic)

Early archaeologists and their media representation Topics: Introduction | History of Archaeologies | Early Archaeologists in different media (overview) | Case study: Heinrich Schliemann in the British Museum | Science Communication and Storytelling | Case Study: The movie “The Dig Podcasts | Social Media: Instagram and Twitter | Presentations by students on early Archaeologists: Biography, temporal context, analysis of previous medial presentation, including their own proposal for a media presentation

practical exercise - three hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: Presentation; taught in Winter Term 2021/2022 (digitally because of ongoing Covid-19-Pandemic)

How to analyze a Merovingian cemetery? Methods, practice, examples

practical exercise, three hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: Portfolio; taught in winter term 2021/2022 partly on-site, partly digital (due to ongoing Covid-19- Pandemic)

Burial customs and social structure as seen in merowingian graves and cemeteries

Topics (lecture): Archaeology and death | Do Merovingian cemeteries mirror the population? | Memoria and representation in burial rites of the Merovingian period | Elites of the Merovingian Period and their Graves: The Tomb of Childerich | The elit burials beneath the Cologne Cathedral | Children: Individuals of the Age Groups Infans I and II | On the Way to Adulthood: Subadult Individuals | The Category “Genderïn the Early Middle Ages | Between Battle and Craftwork: Men of the Merovingian Period | The Court Lady and the maid: Women of the Merovingian Period | Old People in the Merovingian Period | Health and healthcare in the Early Middle Ages | Strangers in the Early Middle Ages | Professions in the Merovingian Period? | Summary and conclusion Topics (seminar): Chronology of the Merovingian Period | Social Structures of the Merovingian Period | Religion in the Merovingian period | Secondary grave openings | Research techniques for bibliography and term paper | as well as presentations by students matching the topics of the lecture

Lecture, one hour per week, and seminar, one hour per week, in close combination, for B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Winter Term 2021/2022 (partly digitally because of ongoing Covid-19-Pandemic)

Databases in archaeology

Workshop / Seminar, three hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students who are about to start writing the final exams; taught in Summer Term 2019

Archaeology in documentary films

Topics: Introduction into documentary films | Storytelling and narrativs - discussion of the documentary film „Tatort Eulau“ | introduction into film critics | „docusoaps “ | documentaries of experimental archaeology | design of a questionaire (to be used at the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften) | public outreach and tourism | selected presentations of reviews

Seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: oral presentation; taught in Summer Term 2019

Digital storytelling as public outreach for archaeology

Seminar with practice, three hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: oral presentation of a Twine-project the students designed and programed during the term; taught in Summer Term 2019

More than treasure and adventure: communicating with the public in ancient studies

Seminar with practice, three hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students - exam: writing an article for a popular science magazin; taught in Summer Term 2019 together with Nina Diezemann, press relations of Freie Universität Berlin, and Hauke Ziemssen, Excellence Cluster Topoi

Visual representations of the past = images of the past? Critical reflections on reconstructions in archaeology

Lecture, one hour per week, and seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2018/2019

Food and drink in prehistoric times

Colloquium, three hours per week, and full-day conference simulation, organized and conducted by participants at 18.02.2019, for M.A. students. - exam: giving a paper at the conference simulation and writing a popular article; the articles were published in a journal and were given to the visitors at the conference simulation; taught in Winter Term 2018/2019

Archaeology as source of social history in Early Medieval times

Lecture, one hour per week, for B.A. students - no exam; taught in Summer Term 2018

Introduction into ancient studies

Lecture, approx. one hour per week (part of a lecture given by all archaeologies and subjects of ancient studies at Freie Universität Berlin) for B.A. first-year students - exam: written examination; taught in Summer Term 2018

Pre- and early historical periods III: Pre-Roman Iron Age

Lecture, two hours a week, for B.A. students - exam: written examination; taught in Winter Term 2017/2018

„Clothes make the man…“ - clothing and reconstructions of clothes in prehistoric times

Colloquium, three hours per week, and full-day conference simulation, organized and conducted by participants at 05.02.2018, for M.A. students. - exam: giving a paper at the conference simulation and writing a popular article; the articles were published in a journal and were given to the visitors at the conference simulation; taught in Winter Term 2017/2018

Archaeology of the north atlantic region

Lecture, two hours per week, and seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught in Summer Term 2017

Seminar to the practical training module: Issues of the working world

Seminar, two hours per week, for M.A. students - exam: written thesis; taught in Summer Terms 2017 & 2018

Basics and methods of prehistoric archaeology

Topics: How to work scientifically | prospection | archaeological excavation and heritage laws | dating and chonology | maps and GIS | archaeological experiments | prehistoric archaeology and related disciplines: The examples of Schöninger Speere, Neandertaler, Ötzi, Sky Disc of Nebra, “Keltenfürstöf Hochdorf, prehistoric mining and cemetery of Hallstatt, battle of Harzhorn, settlement Feddersen-Wierde, grave of Childerich | introduction into archaeological theory | the history of prehistoric archaeology | job prospects in archaeology | archaeology and media

Lecture, one hour per week, and seminar, one hour per week, in close combination, for first year B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Winter Term 2016/2017

Medicine and health care in prehistoric times

Colloquium, three hours per week, and full-day conference simulation, organized and conducted by participants at 01.02.2017, for M.A. students. - exam: giving a paper at the conference simulation and writing a popular article; the articles were published in a journal and were given to the visitors at the conference simulation; taught in Winter Term 2016/2017

Sources and methods for research on early christianity between Rhine and Danube

Lecture, one hour per week, for B.A. students - no exam; taught in Winter Term 2016/2017

Pre- and early historical periods IV: the first millenium AD

Topics: Sources, classifications and chonology | written text and archaeological record | From Augstus to the Marcomannic Wars | From the Marcomannic Wars to the invasion of the Huns | From the invasion of the Huns to the langobardic conquest of Italy | merowingian and carolingian times north of the alps | migration and mobility during the first millenium AD | mounted nomads in the first millenium: Huns - Avars - Magyars | archaeology of the Slavs | Scandinavia during the first millenium AD| animal art in the first millenium AD | social groups in the first millenium AD

Lecture, 2 hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: written examination; taught in Summer Term 2016 & 2018

Burial customs and social structure as seen in merowingian graves and cemeteries

Lecture, one hour per week, and seminar, one hour per week, in close combination, for B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Summer Term 2016

Teaching at University of Bonn

Study Programs:.

B.A. Archäologien (major, minor)
M.A. Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie und Archäologie der Römischen Provinzen
M.A. Frühgeschichtliche Archäologien Europas
M.A. Archäologische Wissenschaften

Publishing and science communication in the digital age

Colloquium - one hour per week, for M.A. students - taught in Summer Term 2021 digitally (due to the ongoing of Covid-19-Pandemic)

“warrior societies” in interdisciplinary and diachronic perspective (taught in digital winter term 2020/2021)

Topics: Introduction: “warrior societies?” | Prehistoric Masculinities | The practice of warfare | Analogies: “warrior societies” and North American Indians | places of war: The Harzhorn battle; the mass grave of Lützen and similar features | traces of “warrior societes”: bog offerings, Großromstedt | weapon graves = “warrior graves”? | individuals in a “warrior society” | mobil “warrior societies” | modern perspectives on “warrior societies”: science communication and reenactment

Seminar, two hours per week, taught with Prof. Dr. Michael Schmauder, for advanced B.A. and M.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2020/2021 as online class

Archaeology as source of social history in Early Medieval times (taught in digital winter term 2020/2021)

Lecture, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students - no exam; taught in Winter Term 2020/2021 as online class

Archaeology of the north atlantic region (taught in digital summer term 2020)

Lecture, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. stuents, and seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught in digital Summer Term 2020 as online class

Visual representations of the past = images of the past? Critical reflections on reconstructions in archaeology (taught in digital summer term 2020)

Seminar, two hours per week, for advanced B.A. students and M.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught in digital Summer Term 2020 as online class

Archaeology of south Scandinavia and northern Germany (taught in digital summer term 2020)

Seminar with practical elements, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students - exam: oral presentation; taught in digital Summer Term 2020 as online class

Basics and current research in archaeology of the first millenium AD

Topics: Europe during the first millenium AD: Geography, landscape, historical and political context| archaeological sources and chronology | From Augstus to the Marcomannic Wars | From the Marcomannic Wars to the invasion of the Huns | From the invasion of the Huns to the langobardic conquest of Italy | merowingian and carolingian times north of the alps | from first trading places in the North to the normannic conquest of England | Britain after the Romans | Avars and Slavs | trade and exchange | animal art in the first millenium AD | social groups in the first millenium AD | identities | people and environment

Lecture, two hours per week, taught with Dr. Ernst Pohl, for B.A. students - exam: written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2013/2014 & 2014/2015 & 2015/2016

The Baltic region

Seminar, two hours per week, and two-weeks Excursion, taught with Prof. Dr. Michael Schmauder and Dr. Ernst Pohl, for B.A. and M.A. students - exam: oral exam; taught in Winter Term 2013/2014 & Summer Term 2014 (Excursion)

Cemetery analyses

Seminar with practical elements, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: oral presentation; taught in Summer Term 2013 & Winter Term 2014/2015

Introduction into pre- and early historical archaeology II: analyses, models, interpretations

Seminar, two hours per week, for first-year B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Summer Term 2013

Bronze Age in Southern Germany

Seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2012/2013

Databases in archaeology

Seminar with practical elements, two hours per week, for B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Summer Terms 2008 and 2012

Burial places at the periphery of the carolingian empire

Seminar, two hours per week, for third-year B.A. students and M.A. students - exam: written thesis; taught with Prof. Dr. Jan Bemmann in Winter Term 2009/2010

Introduction into pre- and early historical archaeology I: Sources, methods, evidence

Seminar, two hours per week, for first-year B.A. students - exam: written exam; taught in Winter Term 2009/2010

Teaching at Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittemberg

Archaeology as source of social history in Merovingian times (taught in digital winter term 2020/2021)

Lecture, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students - no exam; taught in Winter Term 2020/2021 as online class

Archaeology of the Early Middle Ages in visual representations of the past: Critical reflections on visual science communication (taught in digital winter term 2020/2021)

Seminar, two hours per week, for M.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught in digital Winter Term 2020/2021 as online class

Teaching at Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen

Visual representations of the past = images of the past? Critical reflections with focus on gender

Topics: Introduction | Discussion of popular examples | case studies from the stone age to the middle ages | public outreach

Seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught partly digitally in Summer Term 2023

Teaching at Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg

Introduction into pre- and early historical archaeology: Material culture as source of European History

Seminar, four hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students of non-archaeological study programs - exam: oral presentation and written thesis; taught regularily since autumn trimester 2012

Teaching at Leuphana University Lüneburg

Archaeological-historical perspective of cultural identity

Topics: Human-made objects as source of cultural identity? | … and what about the people themselves? Research of physical anthropology and paleogenetics on cultural identity | (Re)constructed identities of the past in political discourses of the present | Visual representations of the past = images of the past? Critical discussion of representations of cultural identity | The past as a place of longing? | Case Studies - Students’ Examples | Archaeological-Historical Perspective of Cultural Identity - Relevant for our Present?

Seminar, two hours per week, for first-semester B.A. students of non-archaeological study programs - exam: written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2019/2020 and 2020/2021

Diseases and health care in roman period, late antiquity and early middle ages

Seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students of non-archaeological study programs - exam: written thesis; taught in Winter Term 2011/2012 and Summer Term 2018

visual representations of the past = images of the past? A critical review especially with focus on gender and diversity

Seminar, two hours per week, for B.A. and M.A. students of non-archaeological study programs - exam: written thesis; Winter Term 2017/2018 and Summer Term 2019

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