As a postdoctoral researcher you will be responsible for one of the five subprojects of the NWO-funded VICI project entitled 'Source of Life: Water Management in the Premodern Middle East (7th-15th century)'. This project studies the interrelationship between water installations, governance, and legal and cultural frameworks in five Middle Eastern cities (Basra, Baghdad, Mosul, Damascus and Cairo) from the first Arab conquests to Ottoman rule (7th-15th C). By integrating both written and material sources and employing a comparative approach, it seeks to:
1) map the institutional fabric of premodern Middle Eastern cities by taking water as a key service; and
2) identify incentives for institutional innovation in premodern urban water governance.
Please vind a more detailed description of the project here.

Subproject 4 - Water installations and waterways: An archaeological approach
Your postdoctoral research approaches the two main objectives of the project (see above) from an archaeological perspective. You will have three main responsibilities within the project:
1) to analyse geospatial data and remaining visual features in the landscape of Iraq around Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, through the outcomes of the aerial survey based on photography and satellite imagery;
2) to examine archaeological publications and reports and contact archaeological teams for all five cities to gather data relevant to Source of Life and interpret these findings for the rest of the team; and
3) to supervise the GIS environment in close cooperation with the GIS specialists from the Radboud Humanities Lab.

You will contribute research results to the project's database. Your findings should be presented in at least four major articles (some of which co-authored) in international scientific journals, and you are also expected to contribute to wider communication of the project's results. Furthermore, you will cooperate closely with all other subprojects and participate in the project's programme of meetings as a speaker and organiser.

• A completed PhD degree in archaeology or a relevant field (at least a manuscript approved by the board of examiners).
• An excellent research and publication record in relation to your career stage.
• Demonstrable experience with working in a GIS environment and with aerial survey techniques.
• Experience with either working in/on the Middle East or on 7th-15th century history.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.
• A strong willingness to work collaboratively in an international research team.

Fixed-term contract: You will be appointed for an initial period of 12 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended with another 3 years.

• Employment: 32 hours per week.
• A maximum gross monthly salary of € 4,274 based on a 38-hour working week (salary scale 10).
• The exact salary depends on the candidate's qualifications and amount of relevant professional experience.
• In addition to the salary: an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• Duration of the contract: You will be appointed for an initial period of 12 months, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, the contract will be extended with another 3 years.
• The intended start date is 1 February 2020.
• You will be able to make use of our Dual Career Service: our Dual Career Officer will assist with family-related support, such as child care, and help your partner prepare for the local labour market and with finding an occupation.
• Are you interested in our excellent employment conditions?

Radboud University

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Faculteit der Letteren

The Faculty of Arts employs over 500 academic and support staff in the fields of history and art, languages and cultures, linguistics and communication. Research is embedded in one of the two faculty research institutes: the Centre for Language Studies (CLS) or Historical, Literary and Cultural Studies (HLCS). The faculty currently enrolls some 2,400 students, in three departments: the department of History, Art History and Classics, the department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and the department of Language and Communication. We want to be a diverse and inclusive organisation, which is why we endeavour to create a culturally diverse staff.