PhD Candidate: Reconstructing Mobility in Late Prehistoric Cyprus (1.0 FTE)

PhD Candidate: Reconstructing Mobility in Late Prehistoric Cyprus (1.0 FTE)

PhD Opportunity at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University

The Department of World Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, is seeking a PhD candidate in the field of Archaeology to join the Inequal Cyprus project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and carried out at the Faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University.

Project Description

The Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, seeks to appoint a full-time PhD candidate to investigate late prehistoric migrations in Cyprus, between ca 4000 – 1700 BCE, using the technique of isotope research, in particular Strontium and Oxygen isotopes, to reconstruct mobility within and beyond Cyprus during the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age.

The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues in the bio-archaeology group at the Faculty of Archaeology, and with staff at a yet to be determined isotope laboratory. The research should lead to a PhD within a four-year timeframe (1.0 FTE). Candidates with a good knowledge of Cypriot prehistory and bio-archaeology are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates will be expected to master isotope protocols during the PhD research.

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Professor Bleda Düring (the project leader) and Dr. Jason Laffoon, a leading specialist in the field of isotope studies in archaeology.

The ERC AdG project Inequal Cyprus investigates the consolidation of social inequalities – a so far poorly understood development of crucial importance in the rise of complex societies in West Asia. Recent archaeological research into social inequalities has either used quantitative methods, such as the GINI measure, to demonstrate the emergence of inequalities, or questioned the existence of inequalities in early complex societies, for example in work of Graeber and Wengrow, leaving the complex question of how social inequalities were first consolidated unresolved.

To move this topic forward, a mixed methods approach is needed that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis, to reconstruct the significance and durability of social inequalities in prehistoric societies. In this project, the focus is on late prehistoric Cyprus (4000-1700 BCE). Decades of research have produced rich datasets from settlements and cemeteries, that suggest clear transformations in the articulation of social inequalities. In the Chalcolithic (4000-2500 BCE) there is evidence for short-lived social inequalities, especially in house sizes. By contrast, in the Prehistoric Bronze Age (2500-1700 BCE), social inequalities appear more consolidated, for example in graves.

This project will investigate social inequalities in everyday life (houses, objects, mobility, and diet), and in performed settings (burials, feasts, and figurative objects), to reconstruct how social inequalities featured in these social arenas. The aim is to both quantify evidence for social inequalities, and study how inequalities were culturally negotiated. The results will shed light on how and why social inequalities were consolidated in late prehistoric societies in Cyprus and contribute to broader discussions on the emergence of social inequalities.

The candidate will work as part of a research team. The PI will focus on methodological challenges for reconstructing social inequalities in late prehistoric Cyprus. Two postdocs will investigate the articulation of exchange networks and how diet and feasting played a role in the reproduction of society in late prehistoric Cyprus. Four PhD candidates will investigate how migration, buildings, burial practices, and figurative objects were used to negotiate social inequalities.

Key tasks

• Conduct collaborative and novel research in the field of isotope bio-archaeology;
• Contribute to the overall aims of the Inequal Cyprus project;
• Participate in fieldwork related to the Inequal Cyprus project and have the willingness to act as an ambassador of the project;
• Conduct research activities, including sample collection, processing, and analyses with project partners in Cyprus, the Netherlands, and a yet to be selected laboratory;
• Carry out isotope analyses of archaeological and ecological sample materials;
• Analyse and integrate various types of archaeological, bio-archaeological, isotopic, and spatial datasets;
• Publish and present the 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 the 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 bio-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 results-oriented fashion;
• The PhD thesis will be written in English and therefore excellent command of English is required.

Our Faculty

The future of the past begins at Leiden University. The Faculty of Archaeology is internationally leading for its research, home to a broad array of specialisations and notable for its strong connection between teaching and research. Home to over 500 students in the multidisciplinary world of Archaeology, the Faculty, and its researchers from all areas of the archaeological field, determine 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 = 2091 - 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 our PhD students are embedded in the Graduate School of Archaeology. Our graduate school and Leiden University offer 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.