Call for candidates for a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Modern Languages, University of Warsaw for the research project TEOTL “The concept of teotl: a complex approach to the principal religious category of preHispanic Central Mexico”

19 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Warsaw

Department

Faculty of Modern Languages

Research Field

History » Art history
Religious sciences

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Poland

Application Deadline

18 Feb 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Warsaw)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

40

Offer Starting Date

1 Apr 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE / ERC

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Planned duration of employment: 54 months (1 April 2024 – 30 September 2028)

Total gross salary: ca. PLN 5990+7575

Number of posts: 1 (full-time)

 

About the project:

The main goal of the project TEOTL is to understand what was behind one of the basic religious categories of pre-Hispanic Nahua, referred to in the Nahuatl language by the term teotl. In order to comprehensively explore this issue, the project focuses on examining the following four research areas: 1) the so-called pantheon of Aztec gods; 2) the relationship between the category of teotl and other important religious categories (e.g., tonalli, nahualli, ixiptla, and others); 3) a philological analysis of the term teotl in collocations, relationships and discourse; 4) the use of the term teotl in colonial Christian Nahuatl discourse. Using a heterogeneous collection of textual and iconographic data, the project TEOTL will employ a novel combination of research methods at the intersection of traditional (ethnohistory, religious studies, art history, philology, linguistics) and digital humanities (network analysis). This hitherto unexplored research path will lead to a reconceptualization of our approach to the Nahua concept of the sacred and to its decolonization.

 

Tasks description

- Analysis of early colonial (16th-17th century) sources in Nahuatl, Spanish, Italian and French in search for information on pre-Hispanic deities and other beings of the hereafter in Nahua culture.

- Analysis of collections of monuments and artifacts (sculptures, pottery, architectural elements, paintings, etc.) from the Nahua culture (Central Mexico, Late Postclassic Period) for identification of iconographic elements related to the concept of teotl.

- Sorting and storing of gathered information in a TEOTL project database specially designed for this purpose.

- Participation in the analysis of the research material collected in the database (with particular emphasis on iconographic material) for the purposes of own research and the research of other team members.

- Co-organization of project events (panels, conferences, workshops).

- Publication of scientific articles related to the project topic in international scientific journals and monographs.

- Participation in archival, museum, and library searches in Europe, Mexico, and the USA.

- Participation in international congresses and seminars related to the scope of the project, as well as in workshops organized as part of the project.

- Participation in biweekly team meetings (in person or via online communication platforms) on the progress of the work.

 

Qualification requirements

Necessary requirements:

- PhD degree in History, Art History or Religious Studies obtained within the last 10 years (after January 1, 2013);

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in History, Art History or Religious Studies

- a publication-confirmed specialization in the study of pre-Hispanic and early colonial Nahua culture and religion;

- very good knowledge of the colonial Nahuatl, documented by independently produced translations from this language;

- knowledge of English and Spanish at the B2 level, evidenced by certificates or academic publications in these languages;

- basic knowledge of French and Italian (ability to read texts in these languages with understanding);

- experience in working with databases;

- ability to work with MS Office and Google Workspace software;

- willingness to move to Warsaw for the duration of the project.

Knowledge of Polish language is not required.

 

Additional strengths:

- experience in conducting archival and library queries;

- experience in working with Indigenous books (codices) from Central Mexico;

- very good work organization and time management skills;

- experience in working in research teams;

- communication and networking skills.

 

Required documents:

1. A letter of application (to the Rector of the University of Warsaw).

2. A copy of the Ph.D. and M.A. or B.A. Diploma.

3. A CV (in Polish or in English).

4. Cover letter (in Polish or in English).

5. Signed GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) consent statement (“Information on personal data processing”, attached below).

6. An administrative questionnaire (Personal questionnaire for the person applying for employment – document docx ).

 

All documents should be sent by e-mail to the following address: [email protected] under the

title: “Call for TEOTL – Post Doc 1”.

 

In the case the successful candidate does not accept the job offer, the hiring committee can offer the position to the next shortlisted person.

 

Selection procedure

- Application deadline: February 18, 2024.

- Application results: by March 1, 2024.

- The application process is conducted by the hiring committee in accordance with the regulations of the University of Warsaw. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview, which will be conducted in person (or digitally, if needed) in February 2024.

- Candidates will be informed of the results via e-mail. Following completion of employment documents, a fixed-term employment contract will be signed with the selected candidate.

- The beginning of employment is planned for 1 April 2024.

Requirements

Research Field

History

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Internal Application form(s) needed
WNF-120_893_2023.pdf
English
(437.93 KB - PDF)
Download
Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Warsaw

Country

Poland

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Warszawa

Website

https://neofilologia.uw.edu.pl

Street

Dobra 55

Postal Code

00-312

STATUS: EXPIRED