Post-doctoral Researcher: Food & Feasting (0.8 fte) Leiden • Universiteit Leiden

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Post-Doctoral Researcher: Food and Feasting in Late Prehistoric Cyprus (0.8 fte)

Vacancy number
15817

The Department of World Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, is looking for a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the field of Archaeology to join the Inequal Cyprus project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and carried out at the Faculty of Archaeology of Leiden University. 

Project Description
The Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, seeks to appoint a 0.8 fte Post-Doctoral researcher to investigate food and feasting practices in late prehistoric Cyprus, between ca 4000 – 1700 BCE, by analysing archaeological contexts that might point to feasting events, and by performing isotope analysis, in particular on Oxygen and Carbon isotopes, on selected human remains and control samples from late prehistoric Cyprus. The aim is to reconstruct what food and feasting practices can tell us about the negotiation of social inequalities in Cyprus during the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age and Middle Bronze Age.  

The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues in the World Archaeology and bio-archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, and with archaeological colleagues working on prehistoric Cyprus on the island and across the globe. The research should lead to a series of substantial research papers and the creation of a robust datasets on food and feasting. Candidates with a good knowledge of Cypriot prehistory, bio-archaeology and isotope analysis are especially encouraged to apply. 

The Post-Doctoral Researcher will be working with  Professor Bleda Düring (the project leader) and Dr. Jason Laffoon, who is a leading expert in isotope archaeology.  

The ERC AdG project Inequal Cyprus projects investigates the consolidation of social inequalities – a so far poorly understood development of crucial importance in the rise of complex societies in West Asia. Recent archaeological research into social inequalities has either used quantitative methods, such as the GINI measure, to demonstrate the emergence of inequalities, or questioned the existence of inequalities in early complex societies, for example in work of Graeber and Wengrow,  leaving the complex question of how social inequalities were first consolidated unresolved. 

To move this topic forward we need a mixed methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis, to reconstruct the significance and durability of social inequalities in prehistoric societies. In this project, the focus is on late prehistoric Cyprus (4000-1700 BCE). Decades of research have produced rich datasets from settlements and cemeteries, that suggest clear transformations in the articulation of social inequalities. In the Chalcolithic (4000-2500 BCE) we have evidence for short-lived social inequalities, especially in house sizes. By contrast, in the Prehistoric Bronze Age (2500-1700 BCE), social inequalities appear more consolidated, for example in graves.

This project will investigate social inequalities in everyday life (houses, objects, mobility, and diet), and in performed settings (burials, feasts, and figurative objects), to reconstruct how social inequalities featured in these social arenas. The aim is to both quantify evidence for social inequalities, and study how inequalities were culturally negotiated. The results will shed light on how and why social inequalities were consolidated in late prehistoric societies in Cyprus and contribute to broader discussions on the emergence of social inequalities.

The candidate will work as part of a research team. The PI will focus on methodological challenges for reconstructing social inequalities in late prehistoric Cyprus. Two postdocs will investigate the articulation of exchange networks and how diet and feasting played a role in the reproduction of society in late prehistoric Cyprus. Four PhD candidates will investigate how migration, buildings, burial practices, and figurative objects were used to negotiate social inequalities. 

Key tasks

• Conduct collaborative and novel research in the field of the archaeology of feasting and diet;
• Contribute to the overall aims of the Inequal Cyprus project and take a leading role in the team efforts;
• Participate in fieldwork related to the Inequal Cyprus project and have the willingness to act as an ambassador of the project;
• Carry out isotope analyses of archaeological and ecological sample materials; 
• Analyse and integrate various types of archaeological, bio-archaeological, isotopic, and spatial datasets;
• Conduct research activities with project partners in the Cyprus, the Netherlands, and beyond;
• Publish and present the work in international peer-reviewed journals and to academic and professional audiences, both independently and with team members;
• Actively participate in discussions at the faculty, department, and research group level on research innovation;

Selection criteria

• PhD degree completed by the time of the appointment in Archaeology;
• Demonstrable ability and enthusiasm for innovative and inter-disciplinary research;
• Availability to travel and conduct fieldwork outside the Netherlands;
• Candidates with prior knowledge of Prehistoric Cyprus, bio-archaeology and isotope analysis in archaeology will have preference;
• Demonstrable good time-management, organisational, and communication skills;
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in an organised and result-oriented fashion.

Our Faculty
The future of the past begins at Leiden University. The Faculty of Archaeology is internationally leading for its research, home to a broad array of specialisations and notable for its strong connection 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. More information about our university and our faculty can be found at:  

We offer

• The selected candidate will be appointed for 36 months depending on the exact starting date.
• A salary of a minimum of €3378 and a maximum of €5331 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 10);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• For a 38-hour week you have 232 vacation hours per year. If you work part-time, your vacation credit is proportional to your contracted hours;
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for ex-ample, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop. 

Information
For more information about the content of this vacancy, please contact Professor Bleda Düring, the project leader of the Inequal Cyprus project at via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.denuniv. For practical questions please mail to via de button "Solliciteer nu" op deze pagina.denuniv. 

More information about Leiden University can be found at .

Apply
You can apply via the 'Apply' button. The deadline for applications is August 1st, 2025. 

Applications must be submitted via SuccessFactors. The position is envisaged to start in November  2025, but a later start date is possible.

Please attach the following additional documents as one PDF file, stating the job number above:

• Motivation letter, including your relevant interest and experience in the subject matter and in doing advanced research (max 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications
• A writing sample (postgraduate thesis or publication)
• The names and addresses of two potential referees (no actual recommendation letters required at this stage).

The first round of interviews should be scheduled in Late August or September. Selected candidates will initially be invited for an online interview. We kindly request that you be available (online) during this period.