McDonald Institute Cambridge International Entangled PhD Scholarship

We invite applications for a funded PhD studentship starting in October 2025 as part of the project “Entangled materialities and new global histories from southern Africa (ENTANGLED).”

The PhD student will be part of the Entangled core team (the PI, two post-doctoral researchers, one doctoral student and the project coordinator) based at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. The core team works closely with collaborators based in Mozambique, the UK, and internationally, and the project has a strong base in Mozambique, where much of the research is carried out.

ENTANGLED (https://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/current-projects/entangled-entangled-materialities-and-new-global-histories) is an interdisciplinary project that addresses connections between southern Africa and the Indian Ocean World during the Global Middle Ages (500-1500 CE). The aim of ENTANGLED is to assess the development of maritime economies in southern Mozambique, the nature and directionality of trade routes that linked interior and coastal communities, and the value of traded items across diverse paths of exchange and consumption. Doing so, the project addresses the agency of southern African coastal communities in shaping global connections and contribute towards repositioning southern Africa in global history.

We are looking for a highly motivated PhD student to join the project. The selected student will be co-supervised by the PI of the project (Dr Abigail Moffett) and Professor Paul Lane. The PhD project will focus on the analysis of excavated materials from the coastal regions of southern Mozambique, with an opportunity to develop expertise in a range of materials-based analytical techniques. The successful applicant will possess an ability for rigorous, creative and independent thought, have ability to work as part of a team, and be willing to spend part of their PhD undertaking fieldwork in Mozambique.

The PhD is co-funded by the Cambridge Trust and a UKRI Frontier Research Grant and provides a stipend covering maintenance and fee costs for three years (plus 6 -12 months discretionary additional maintenance).  The studentship will also cover immigration health surcharge and visa fees in the event of the successful candidate is a non-UK citizen, plus fieldwork costs and selected conference attendance, and maintenance payments for the duration of parental leave.

Candidates must meet the requirements for a PhD application in archaeology (see details here: https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hsarpdarc/requirements), and have (or expect to obtain) a Master's degree in archaeology or a related discipline, with a specialisation in southern Africa. Ideally, applicants will have knowledge of or interest in material culture studies, however, we also welcome applicants with interests in other areas that share the methodological scope of the project. In order to conduct the research, the successful candidate will need relevant linguistic skills in Portuguese or Xitswa (or a willingness to acquire these during the PhD). We encourage minorities and women to apply, and particularly encourage applicants from Mozambique and elsewhere in southern Africa.  To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the apply button above.

The deadline for this application is 7 January 2025.

For informal enquiries, please feel free to contact Dr Abigail Moffett (am3285@cam.ac.uk).

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