Postdoc in zooarchaeology

The University of Iceland, in collaboration with Exeter University, welcomes applications for a two year postdoctoral fellowship in zooarchaeology.The fellowship is funded by a Grant of Excellence from the Icelandic Research Fund: Between man and nature: The Making of Benedictine Communities in Medieval Iceland.

Between Man and Nature is a multi-disciplinary project that aims to study the Benedictine communities run in Iceland during the medieval time. The overarching aim is to elucidate the ways in which the Benedictine houses and their natural environments concurrently shaped each other. The project will focus on the main themes as follows:

• The production of textiles and manuscripts within the settlements, which both required ample natural resources.
• The role of the landscape in everyday life and in engagement with liturgy and prayer, for example through water management, timekeeping and fasting.
• The diet of the religious and lay inhabitants in the monastic houses and its associated land-use through cultivation.

Some recurring questions within these themes concern the ways in which the religious houses responded to periods of hardship, such as caused by the Plague or the Little Ice Age, the significance of gender in their operation, and the diverse ways in which they synchronized with their surrounding environment while keeping their dedication to the Benedictine customs. With contributions from archaeology, history, literary studies, natural sciences and environmental studies, the project is expected to add considerably to the current knowledge on monasticism in Northern Europe and its environmental impact. The project has a great potential to extend significant new departure in monastic research, besides providing new insight into current debates about human/nature coexistence.

The post-doctoral position is intended for a scholar in the field of zooarchaeology, aimed to study diet and animal husbandry in two Benedictine settlements in Iceland, Þingeyrar and Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The post-doctoral scholar needs to participate in fieldwork planned inside the frame of the project on both sites, Þingeyrar and Kirkjubæjarklaustur, for to gather data for the analysis. The work also includes analysing of data gathered during previous excavations on these sites. It is assumed that the post-doctoral scholar will othervise have office facilities at Exeter University but also along with other staff of the project in Nýja Garður, University of Iceland. 

• PhD in Zooarchaeology
• A significant experience in faunal assemblage analysis
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Independence in working methods

The application should include:

• A CV and bibliography.
• A written application (ca. 2,000 words) describing the applicant¿s interest in the subject matter and how they envision their approach to the research.
• A record of previous education and certificates (MA and PhD).
• Two references, including their contact information.

All applicants will receive a reply and be notified once the position has been filled. Applications are valid for up to six months from the deadline for the application. The prospective researcher is expected to start work January 1st  2023 (or by agreement).

The hiring process at the University of Iceland follows the University¿s Equal Rights Plan: https://english.hi.is/university/equal_rights_policy . Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the University of Iceland Language Policy: https://english.hi.is/university/university_of_iceland_language_policy .

Application deadline is 17.10.2022

Steinunn J Kristjánsdóttir

[email protected]