Postdoc Position in Archaeomalacology and Sclerochronology

A one-year postdoc position in Archaeomalacology and Sclerochronology as part of the Ginnerup Project

Applications are invited for a one-year postdoctoral position that will start on 1 December 2024 (or as soon as possible thereafter), to undertake sclerochronological and isotopic analyses on shells from the Neolithic site of Ginnerup.

The Ginnerup research project

The funding for this one-year postdoctoral position has been generously made available by the Augustinus Foundation, as part of the project titled “Ginnerup – and the end of northern Europe’s first farming culture”, which is co-financed with the Louis-Hansen Foundation. The overarching aim of the project is to shed light on the transition from the Funnel Beaker Culture to the Pitted Ware Culture, which saw the, as yet unexplained, demise of northern Europe’s first farming culture and a partial return to hunter-gatherer modes of life by several completely divergent groups.

This interdisciplinary project involves the collaboration between researchers from different institutions under the direction of Lutz Klassen (PI, Head of Research at Museum Østjylland) and Niels Nørkjær Johannsen (Co-PI, Associate Professor at Aarhus University). At AU the postdoc work will be supervised jointly by Marcello Mannino and Niels Nørkjær Johannsen.The many strands of the project include, among other things, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology (both on vertebrates and invertebrates), isotope analyses, palaeogenetics, proteomics and more traditional archaeological approaches.

Research and postdoctoral project

The successful applicant will join the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies (School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University; https://cas.au.dk/en/about-the-school/departments/archaeology-and-heritage-studies) and will conduct sclerochronological and isotopic analyses on mollusc shells recovered from the shell-matrix deposits of the Ginnerup site. This strand of the project is managed by Marcello A. Mannino, Associate Professor in archaeological science at Aarhus University, and will be conducted in collaboration with Prof. Bernd Schöne at the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Mainz, Germany.

The sclerochronological and isotopic (carbon, oxygen and nitrogen) analyses on the main mollusc taxa from the shell-matrix deposits in Ginnerup are aimed at reconstructing the nature and variation of the marine environment of Kolindsund (e.g. sea surface temperatures, salinity, productivity) and the seasonality of shellfish exploitation at Ginnerup during the Neolithic. The analyses will be conducted on shells from an assemblage that is being studied zooarchaeologically and that (in part) has been micro-excavated at the Moesgaard Archaeo-Science Laboratory. This is where the sample selection, as well as the initial and final stages of the laboratory work will take place, whilst sample preparation for sclerochronology and the isotope analyses will be conducted in Germany at the University of Mainz. 

The work also involves collaboration with other project partners including Jesper Olsen, Director of the Aarhus AMS Centre (Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University), where the radiocarbon dating of selected shell specimens will take place. Depending on the agreed workload, and on the availability of additional funding, the position will also involve collaborating in the establishment of a sclerochronological set up at Aarhus University.

The main output of the postdoctoral project will be the publication of articles in scientific peer-reviewed journals to present the results of the environmental reconstructions based on the sclerochronological and isotopic analyses (e.g. in Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology) and of the reconstruction of the seasonality of mollusc collection (e.g. in Environmental Archaeology). In addition, the postdoctoral work will involve collaborating in the analysis and write-up for interdisciplinary articles, for instance on the detailed study of the mollusc assemblage from Ginnerup, to be submitted for publication in a journal such as PLoS ONE. Finally, results of this work will be included in a synthesis of palaeoenvironmental information based on different methods that will appear in the concluding (edited book) publication of the Ginnerup Project.

Place of work: Aarhus University | School of Culture & Society, Department of Archaeology & Heritage Studies, Moesgård Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark

Qualifications and job requirements

Applicants for the position must hold a PhD or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject and should also document:

• Expertise in the sample preparation and analysis for the sclerochronological study of shells
• Expertise in isotope analyses on mollusc shells, ideally in combination with sclerochronological analysis
• Relevant laboratory experience and analytical skills
• An international research profile, as well as excellent research quality
• The ability to work independently and in collaboration within a research group.

The position may involve limited teaching and dissemination activities, including the presentation of the results at international conferences.

The application must be submitted in English.

For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professors Marcello A. Mannino (marcello.mannino@cas.au.dk) and Niels Nørkjær Johannsen (nnj@cas.au.dk).

For more information about the application process, please contact HR supporter Gerd Cecilie Bech Thomsen, gebeth@au.dk

The School of Culture and Society

At the School of Culture and Society, the object of research and teaching is the interplay between culture and society in time and space:

• From the traditional disciplines of the humanities and theology to applied social research
• From Antiquity to the issues facing contemporary societies
• From local questions to global challenges.

The School’s ambition is to produce compelling research with an international resonance as well as to offer teaching and talent development of the highest quality. The School has a broad cooperative interface with society as a whole, both in Denmark and abroad, and contributes to social innovation, research communication and further and continuing education.

For further information about the School, please see http://cas.au.dk/en/. 

International applicants

International applicants are encouraged to read about the attractive working conditions and other benefits of working at Aarhus University and in Denmark, including healthcare, paid holidays and, if relevant, maternity/paternity leave, childcare and schooling. Aarhus University offers a wide variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including a relocation service and an AU Expat Partner Programme. You can also find information about the taxation aspects of international researchers’ employment by Aarhus University.

Qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.

Formalities

The Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).

• Appointments shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
• Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
• Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Application Guidelines.
• The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and examples of academic production (mandatory, but no more than five examples). Please upload this material electronically along with your application.

Aarhus University also offers a junior researcher development programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here: https://talent.au.dk/junior-researcher-development-programme/

If nothing else is noted, applications must be submitted in English. The application deadline is at 11.59 pm Danish time (same as Central European Time) on the deadline day.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Shortlists may be prepared with the candidates that have been selected for a detailed academic assessment. A committee set up by the head of school is responsible for selecting the most qualified candidates. See this link for further information about shortlisting at the Faculty of Arts: shortlisting

Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is one of five main academic areas at Aarhus University.

The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 550 academic staff members, 240 PhD students, 9,500 BA and MA students, and 1,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.

The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society and the Danish School of Education. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.

The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.
 
Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/