Postdoctoral researcher in Aegean Bronze Age architecture

The Department of Archaeology at Ghent University (Belgium) is seeking one well-qualified applicant for a full-time post-doctoral research contract attached to the European Research Council Consolidator Grant project DAEDALOS. Conceptualising Processes of Monumental Architectural Creation in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age (101043552; https://www.daedalos.ugent.be/). Prof. Maud Devolder is the Principal Investigator.

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

ABOUT DAEDALOS

Most human societies produce monumental edifices, the construction of which requires vast amounts of human and material resources. It is generally presumed that only centralised hierarchical socio-political systems have the ability to mobilise and organise countless builders and impressive quantities of building materials. In other words, power is often deemed a necessary precondition for monumental architectural creation. This assumption has been integral to many New Archaeological or Processual analyses world-wide for some 50 years, and it is especially pervasive in the study of societies of the 2nd mill. BCE in Mainland Greece, Western Anatolia, and the islands of Crete, Cyprus and the Cyclades. Because of the lack of explicit written sources, the socio-political organisation in most of these regions is still undefined; but their monuments – whether we call them palaces, or administrative/elite buildings – are still systematically taken as proof of the existence of powerful rulers. However, recent research has demonstrated the incremental construction and the marked heterogeneity in the materials and techniques of monuments in these regions and during this period, far from the material homogeneity that is expected from highly controlled building projects.

These observations challenge the predominant view that conflates power and architecture, and the ERC Consolidator project DAEDALOS wants to explore the possibility that monuments could also be produced by building groups that cooperated within a non-hierarchical socio-political setting, a dynamic rarely considered in traditional architectural studies. After the completion of the first phase of the project in WP1, during which architectural data from 34 buildings on 30 sites was collected and was subject to preliminary processing through fieldwork and literature review, the project is now entering its second phase. In WP2, we will analyse segmentation and integration patterns in monumental building projects of the Bronze Age Aegean.

YOUR TASKS

• At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research.
• Your task will consist in analysing the architectural evidence produced in the previous phase of the research project, for a selection of Bronze Age buildings in the Greek Mainland, the Cycladic islands, Western Anatolia and the islands of the Dodecanese. With architectural reports and databases providing evidence pertaining to the phasing, building materials and techniques, and other architectural information, you will analyse specific aspects of the construction process, namely the task differentiation and associated degree of specialisation, the sequencing of building events, the periodicity of labour expenditure, and the modularity of the building’s layout. These analytical parameters have been defined in the framework of the DAEDALOS project, and will structure your research.
• You will be working in collaboration with and under the supervision of the principal investigator, and in collaboration with other postdoctoral researchers. We expect you to be an enthusiastic and meticulous researcher. You should be interested in actively participating in team meetings, international conferences and the research life of the Department of Archaeology in Ghent University.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The successful applicant must have:

1. A thesis-based doctorate (obtained max. six years ago. This term of six years is determined by the date written on the PhD diploma in Archaeology);

2. A demonstrable experience in the study of the ancient architectural record (preferably Bronze Age Aegean);

3. A strong interest in studying the configuration and construction processes of Bronze Age Aegean buildings;

4. An excellent command of English.

We expect that the successful applicant will:
1. efficiently analyse the architectural data pertaining to the specific aspects of the construction process previously defined;
2. work together with the other members of the team, and contribute to a pleasant and stimulating working atmosphere;
3. contribute to scholarly activities organised in the framework of the research project and actively participate in the scientific life of the Department of Archaeology in Ghent University.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer you a contract of indefinite duration with a maximum term of 2 years.
•  Your contract will start on 1/02/2025 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED?

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession)
• If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Maud Devolder (maud.devolder@UGent.be). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via selecties@ugent.be or +32 9 264 34 36