Within the VIDI project Material Culture, Consumption and Social Change: New Approaches towards Byzantine and Ottoman Archaeology in the Mediterranean the PhD candidate will work on the material culture of Tarsus in eastern Turkey, ranging from circa the 7th to the 20th centuries after Christ. The central dataset will consist of the Byzantine, Early Islamic (Abbasid), Later Medieval and Ottoman pottery assemblages excavated at the Gözlükule Mound of Tarsus by an international team  under the direction of Dr A. Özyar of Boğaziçı/Bosporus University in Istanbul. Particular emphasis will be on the archaeology of frontier life in eastern Turkey during Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman times, especially on its socio-economic implications. Because of the extreme political and ethnic fragmentation in this border area, special attention will be focused on the changing expressions of social identity through the material culture of Tarsus. During the duration of the project, the PhD candidate will be based in Turkey for substantial amounts of time in order to study the pottery assemblages from the Tarsus excavations.

Project description: The material culture of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires offers crucial information for our understanding of these societies, which by their interaction with the West played a vital role in the formation of Early Modern Europe. However, at this moment both Byzantine and Ottoman archaeology still require an up-to-date typo-chronological framework as well as a solid social and historical perspective. This VIDI-project aims to provide a new approach to the material culture of these two subsequent and intertwined Mediterranean Empires, in relation to the rise of Islamic society and culture.

The project will use artefacts as a means to advance the understanding of historical developments and social change in a long-term (longue durée) or cross-chronological perspective (ranging from the 7th to the 20th centuries after Christ). The focus will be on the dynamics of Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman societies, especially on the relation between changing forms and functions of artefacts, changing pottery production and trade patterns, changing cooking and dining habits as well as changing social identities (such as those of new outsiders, such as Western Crusaders in the Byzantine world; or of new elites, such as the bureaucrats at the Ottoman Court).

Data from four key city centres (Athens, Ephesus, Butrint and Tarsus) will be studied in a comparative perspective. The study is multidisciplinary, using archaeological artefacts (especially table and kitchen equipment), written texts and pictorial evidence as sources of information. The overall aim of the VIDI-project is to make a major contribution to Byzantine and Ottoman archaeology, and to shed light on the dynamics of material culture and daily life in the eastern Mediterranean from Late Antiquity to the Modern era.

Tasks

The candidate is expected to research and complete a PhD thesis within a period of four years, and to participate in the VIDI group's research events and activities (such as conferences, workshops, exhibitions and publications). Apart from writing a PhD thesis in four years, he/she will also write a co-authored  paper for a symposium/conference to be held at the Dutch Institute in Istanbul during his/her third year.

Requirements

A Master's Degree (MA-diploma) in Archaeology. Acquaintance with pottery research is required. A broad perspective on material culture will strongly enhance the prospects of the candidate. Mastery of both written and spoken English.  

Further information

Further information can be obtained from Dr Joanita Vroom, project supervisor, j.a.c.vroom@uva.nl.

Appointment

The PhD candidate will be appointed for a period of four years (full time), starting in March/April 2011 at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam under the terms of employment currently valid for the Faculty. A contract will be given in the first instance for one year, with an extension for the following three years on the basis of an evaluation of, amongst other things, a written piece of work. The salary will be in accordance with the salary scales for PhD candidates at Dutch universities, and will range from €2,042 (during the first year) up to a maximum of €2,612 (during the final year) gross per month, based on a full-time appointment. The collective employment agreement of the Dutch universities will be applicable.

Job application

Applicants are invited to write a letter of application. The letter should clearly state the reasons for application, why the candidate thinks he/she should be awarded the PhD position, a general  plan of approach for the PhD thesis (including proposed methods), and in what ways the candidate can contribute to the overall project. In addition to the letter of application, the committee needs an academic curriculum vitae (thus including all colleges and universities attended, along with other verifiable evidence of academic ability and current addresses), a transcript of your MA-marks, plus the names and contact details of at least two academic referees who will be prepared to give academic references at possibly short notice.

Applications for this position should be sent to the University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Culture and History, p/o Mrs J. Beuvens, Spuistraat 210, 1012 VT Amsterdam. It is also possible to send applications by e-mail (preferably in pdf format) to icg-fgw@uva.nl. Please state the vacancy number in the subject line of your e-mail.

Deadline of submission is 10 January 2011. Applications received after this date or those that are incomplete will not be taken into consideration.