The Sunday's child of Dutch earth sciences – a tribute to Bert Boekschoten on the occasion of his 80th birthday (introduction)

Abstract

AbstractAlthough not exhaustive, the contributions to the present liber amicorum illustrate the wide range of geological, palaeontological and archaeological subjects that Bert Boekschoten has been interested in during his long, productive career. Not only has he carried out research by himself – often in far-flung and occasionally inhospitable places – he also has that special ability to fuel enthusiasm and zeal in others. ‘Have another look’, ‘What about …’, or ‘But maybe it is just the opposite …’ – typical phrases uttered to one of his former PhD students in distress. Always an eye opener, and always at the right time! The present tome covers the fields of (actuo)palaeontology and prehistoric archaeology, papers having been written by some of Bert's former PhD students at Groningen and Amsterdam and by a number of close friends, both at home and abroad. Here we present summaries of the various chapters, add pertinent items of literature and note Bert's involvement in these projects.