PhD position on radiocarbon dating and carbon stable isotopes

As part of the SNF Professorship awarded to Dr. Ferran Antolín (Integrative Prehistory and Archaeological Science (IPNA), Dept. of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel) a fully-funded 3-year PhD position is announced within the project "Small seeds for large purposes: an integrated approach to agricultural change and climate during the Neolithic in Western Europe" (2018-2021). The project aims to investigate agricultural dynamics in the NW Mediterranean region during the Neolithic.

Your tasks

• Assistance in the compilation of available radiocarbon dates for the study region and planning of a sampling program for radiocarbon dating.
• The PhD researcher will receive information on laboratory procedures for AMS radiocarbon dating, and will analyse all of the samples included in the project at the ETH Zürich, and eventually publish the results.
• The candidate will explore climatic proxies available for the study region in order to interpret the data obtained, in discussion with other project members. Publication and dissemination of the results (including participation in international conferences).

 

Your profile

• BA in Chemistry or Archaeology
• MS in Archaeological Science or Prehistory (or a similarly relevant field)
• We particularly welcome applications from current Master students of the University of Basel, or students willing to start their Master in the autumn semester 2017.
• We are seeking a candidate with a strong background in the study of the Neolithic in Western Europe and some experience with the statistical processing of data (with R).
• The candidate should show the capacity of working independently, as well as in a team, have good planning ability, communication skills and be ambitioned in goals
• A good level of English is required, while German, French, Spanish, Catalan and/or Italian will be considered as a benefit. If not the case, the willingness of the candidate to learn German is expected.

 

We offer you

• A fully-funded doctoral programme based on SNF salary conditions
• Training at the ETH Zürich
• A range of courses taught at the University of Basel
• Integration in our interdisciplinary research group at the IPAS
• Up-to-date working conditions in a highly motivating and enriching working environment
• Funding for attending conferences and courses