Department Of Archaeology

Academic
Grade 7 (£33,199 - £35,210)

This post is fixed term for 12 months, full time.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the History and Archaeology of Medieval and Early Modern Earthquakes. The successful candidate will be based in the Department of Archaeology and become a member of the Leverhulme-funded RISKRES project team (Risk and Resilience, Exploring historic responses to earthquakes, AD 1200-1755) under the supervision of Professor Chris Gerrard and working alongside Dr Paolo Forlin.

The RISKRES project (2017-2020) focuses on the analysis of responses to devastating earthquakes in Europe between AD 1200-1755 by examining historical, archaeological and architectural evidence for post-seismic disaster recovery. This research investigates questions such as the emergence of seismic cultures in pre-industrial Europe and tipping points when innovative responses were introduced.

Further information about our work can be found here {https://armedea.wordpress.com/}.

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Archaeology or History and must be familiar with archival research and the consultation of unpublished written records. She/he will join the RISKRES project during its third and final year. In consultation with the project team, her/his main task will be to visit European archives and extract unpublished evidence for reactions in the aftermath of seismic disasters in different regions in Spain, Portugal and Greece. These regions will be selected in consultation with the RISKRES research team. A working knowledge of medieval and later architecture is also desirable, as is an understanding of archaeological fieldwork. The Research Associate will also be required to contribute to the population of the project’s geo-database which aims to provide a systematic catalogue of earthquake responses across Europe.

Language abilities are vital (fluency written and spoken in one or more of Spanish, Portuguese, Greek) as well as a track record of research on medieval and post-medieval documents. It is not necessary to have English as a first language. A strong publication record and proven organisational ability are both fundamental, and competence in database management (Microsoft Access) is also relevant. Although the project is based in Durham, the candidate will spend significant periods of research abroad as required. There is no teaching requirement for this post.

Closes midday on :     13-Sep-2019