PhD Candidate: Burial and Inequality in Late Prehistoric Cyprus

Leiden University’s Faculty of Archaeology is seeking a PhD candidate to join the Inequal Cyprus project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The position focuses on the study of burial practices and social inequality in late prehistoric Cyprus (ca. 4000–1700 BCE).

Project Description

The appointed PhD candidate will research indications of social inequalities in burial practices in late prehistoric Cyprus by analysing grave types, burial practices, and grave contents using both quantitative and contextual approaches. The aim is to reconstruct burial practices and explore their relationship to social inequalities during the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, and Middle Bronze Age.

The successful candidate will collaborate with colleagues in the World Archaeology department and with researchers working on prehistoric Cyprus internationally. The research is expected to lead to a PhD within four years (1.0 FTE). Candidates with knowledge of Cypriot prehistory and funerary archaeology are especially encouraged to apply. Supervision will be provided by Professor Bleda Düring (project leader) and Dr. Jennifer Swerida, a specialist in the archaeology of West Asia.

The ERC AdG project Inequal Cyprus investigates the consolidation of social inequalities—a crucial but poorly understood development in the rise of complex societies in West Asia. Recent research has either used quantitative methods to demonstrate the emergence of inequalities or questioned their existence in early complex societies, leaving the consolidation of social inequalities unresolved.

This project employs a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis to reconstruct the significance and durability of social inequalities in prehistoric societies. The focus is on late prehistoric Cyprus (4000–1700 BCE), where decades of research have produced rich datasets from settlements and cemeteries, suggesting transformations in social inequalities. In the Chalcolithic (4000–2500 BCE), evidence points to short-lived social inequalities, especially in house sizes. In the Prehistoric Bronze Age (2500–1700 BCE), social inequalities appear more consolidated, for example in graves.

The project will investigate social inequalities in everyday life (houses, objects, mobility, and diet) and in performed settings (burials, feasts, and figurative objects), aiming to quantify evidence for social inequalities and study how they were culturally negotiated. The results will contribute to broader discussions on the emergence and consolidation of social inequalities in late prehistoric societies in Cyprus.

The candidate will join a research team where the PI focuses on methodological challenges, two postdocs investigate exchange networks and the role of diet and feasting, and four PhD candidates study migration, buildings, burial practices, and figurative objects in relation to social inequalities.

Key tasks

• Conduct collaborative and novel research in funerary archaeology
• Contribute to the overall aims of the Inequal Cyprus project
• Participate in fieldwork related to the project and act as an ambassador
• Conduct research activities, including archival research, with project partners in Cyprus, the Netherlands, and beyond
• Carry out analyses of funerary contexts and materials
• Analyse and integrate archaeological, bio-archaeological, and spatial datasets
• Publish and present work in international peer-reviewed journals and to academic and professional audiences, both independently and with team members
• Actively participate in discussions at the faculty, department, and research group level on research innovation
• Follow PhD courses based on an individual training and supervision plan, including through the Graduate School

Selection criteria

• Master’s degree completed by the time of appointment in Archaeology
• Demonstrable ability and enthusiasm for innovative and inter-disciplinary research
• Availability to travel and conduct fieldwork outside the Netherlands
• Candidates with prior knowledge of Prehistoric Cyprus and funerary archaeology will have preference
• Demonstrable good time-management, organisational, and communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in an organised and result-oriented fashion
• Excellent command of English (the PhD thesis will be written in English)

Our Faculty

The Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University is internationally leading in research, home to a broad array of specialisations, and notable for its strong connection between teaching and research. With over 500 students in the multidisciplinary world of Archaeology, the Faculty and its researchers from all areas of the archaeological field shape the future of archaeological research.

We offer

• The selected candidate will be appointed for 4 years in total: initially for a 1-year trial period, followed by an extension of 3 more years, in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• The salary is the standard offered to PhD researchers in the Netherlands in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities (P scale: P0 to P3 = 2901–3707 gross per month).
• Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development, and sabbatical leave. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break.
• All PhD students are embedded in the Graduate School of Archaeology, which offers several PhD training courses at various levels.

Diversity

Leiden University attaches great importance to diversity and therefore welcomes applications from people who are currently under-represented at Leiden. Applications are particularly welcome from minority ethnic candidates.

Information

For more information about the content of this vacancy, please contact Professor Bleda Düring, the project leader of the Inequal Cyprus project at b.s.during@arch.leidenuniv.nl. For practical questions please mail to HR@arch.leidenuniv.nl.