The project is financed in the context of the NWO program Archeologie Telt (Future directions in Dutch archaeological research) that intends to form lasting consortia of scientific institutions and their research, archaeological companies and public partners like museums.

Having experimentally constructed a house from the Late Neolithic Vlaardingen culture near Rotterdam, in collaboration with local volunteers of the open-air educational centre of Masamuda, we now intend to explore how people lived in these houses and the surrounding wetland environment. What kind of activities did they carry out and do these differ between the various Vlaardingen sites in the wetlands of the Rhine/Meuse delta? How did the people move around the landscape to obtain the resources they needed? Can the types of flint used by the various Vlaardingen communities tell us about interaction networks along the Dutch coastal region and with people living further inland?

 The project intends to combine detailed material research, exploring the biographies of different categories of material culture from a cross-craft perspective by means of microwear and residue analysis. This study will be closely integrated with an extensive experimental program involving experienced craftspeople. We will include the volunteers of Masamuda in this endeavor and communicate our findings to the wider world of experimenters, re-enactors and the general public through the social media of EXARC to elicit a continuing dialogue.

Key responsibilities

• Studying the variability and possible sources of flint excavated from the Vlaardingen sites, drawing on previous analyses, reference collections and existing expertise, in order to examine the interaction networks of the wetland inhabitants;
• Analyzing the flint technology associated with the different flint types;
• Performing a microwear analysis of a sample of artefacts from sites where such analysis has not been done before, or from which only a limited sample was previously examined;
• Communicating closely with the team members who are involved in the material analysis of organic artefacts, stone and pottery, in order to explore the interconnectivity of different object biographies;
• Participating in the experimental workshops that will be organized for volunteers and students; 
• A willingness to communicate findings to a wider public by means of social media;
• Completing a PhD thesis within four years (1.0 FTE).

• Research Master, MSc or MA in Archaeology, preferably in Archaeological Material Culture Studies and/or European prehistory with (very) good grades;
• Knowledge of flint technology;
• Preferably a knowledge of microwear analysis of flint or a willingness to learn to do so;
• Excellent command of the English language;
• Having at least a rudimentary knowledge of the Dutch language because much of the literature on the Vlaardingen culture is written in Dutch;
• Well-developed research skills;
• Excellent social skills in order to be able to work in a closely-knit team.

We offer a PhD position for 4 years (1.0 FTE) with a starting date of April 1, 2021. Initially the employee will receive a one-year contract, with extension for the following 36 months on condition of a positive evaluation. The appointment must lead to the completion of a PhD thesis.  Salary range from € 2,395.- to € 3,061.- gross per month (pay scale P, in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).

Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package with additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%), training and career development. Our Individual Choices Model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions. For international spouses we have set up a dual career programme. Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. All our PhD students are embedded in the Leiden University Graduate School of Science.

Diversity
Leiden University is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups.

Leiden University

The future of the past begins in Leiden. The Faculty of Archaeology is internationally leading in its research, and is home to a broad array of specializations and notable for the strong connection it fosters between teaching and research. Home to over 500 students in the multidisciplinary world of Archaeology, the faculty and its researchers from all areas of the archaeological field determine the future of archaeological research. Klik hier voor meer informatie over de Faculteit Archeologie.