[Aqualist] PhD studentships

[Tim Barrows]

 From "Nicki Whitehouse" <n.whitehouse at qub.ac.uk>

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The School of Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queens University Belfast
encourages applications from suitably qualified candidates for the following
two PhD topics funded through the newly established Centre for Climate, the
Environment and Chronology (14 CHRONO):


(1) Palaeodietary analysis of prehistoric populations from the Minusink
Basin, South Siberia.

Supervisors: Dr Eileen Murphy (eileen.murphy at qub.ac.uk) and Dr Rick
Schulting (r.schulting at qub.ac.uk ) in collaboration with Prof. Yuri Chistov
and Dr. Valery Khartanovich (The Kunstkammer, St. Petersburg, Russia)

Candidate qualifications

The student will have gained a 1st class honours or 2:1 undergraduate degree
or equivalent in archaeology or a related discipline and/or a relevant MSc
degree. They will be required to be fluent in the Russian language. It will
be necessary to spend substantial periods of time undertaking skeletal
analysis in Russia and the applicant must be willing to do this. It is
highly desirable that they will have some prior experience of human
osteology and be able to demonstrate an understanding of Russian prehistory.
They should also have an aptitude for undertaking laboratory analysis since
they will be required to do so for the stable isotope component of the
project. It is envisaged that the three-year project will commence in March
2005, although there is potential for a start date later in 2005.

(2) Climate and environmental change in New Zealand at the end of the last
ice age: testing hypotheses of inter-hemispheric climate change using fossil
Coleoptera

Supervisors: Dr Nicki Whitehouse (n.whitehouse at qub.ac.uk), Dr Jamie
Shulmeister (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand) and Dr
Richard Leschen (Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand).


Candidate qualifications

This project will suit a student with expertise in the broad area of
entomology, palaeoecology or palaeoclimate. Preference will be given to
candidates with experience of fossil insect identification (Coleoptera) to
dissertation level. Experience of handling numerical data will be an
advantage. Applicants should have or expect to have good honours degree in
Geography, Palaeoecology, Archaeology or related subject and/or a relevant
MSc degree. The successful candidate will be expected to spend up to several
months a year in New Zealand for the first two years of the project and so
should be prepared to travel away from home for extended periods of time.
The student will be expected to attend and present their results at
international meetings and to major international peer review journals.
Ideally, this studentship should initiate as soon as practically possible,
due to planned fieldwork in February 2005 to coincide with suitable weather
conditions and availability of supervisors/collaborators. However, we also
welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates who are not able to
start immediately, but who have the necessary expertise for the project.


Further information on the projects may be found at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/projects.htm

The School:

The School of Archaeology and Palaeoecology conducts research of
international importance. Queen's Archaeology and Palaeoecology achieved a
Grade 5 (highest 5*) for the quality of its research in 1996 and again in
2001, placing it in the top 10 departments in the UK. In November 2000, the
Palaeoecology Centre was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize. Over the
past thirty years the School’s Palaeoecology Centre has developed an
expertise in scientific dating methods, climate and environmental change and
bioarchaeology. The Centre has been closely involved with the development of
the tree-ring calibration curve used to calibrate all radiocarbon dates
worldwide. Archaeological research ranges through early prehistory to the
late medieval period across Europe, with a particular emphasis on Ireland
and Great Britain. In 2002, the School established the Centre for
Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) which undertakes excavation work for
Environment and Heritage Service (NI) and has provided employment for
students and graduates.


The 14CHRONO Centre:

The School was recently awarded £6.2 million to set up the Centre for
Climate, the Environment and Chronology (14CHRONO) funding new research on
environmental and climate change and the establishment of an AMS radiocarbon
laboratory, only the third such facility in the UK and the first in Ireland.
The Centre brings together researchers with expertise in radiocarbon dating,
stable isotope analysis, tephrochronology, dendrochronology, palaeoecology,
and archaeology.  Facilities are being built or upgraded and equipment is
being installed to provide state-of-the-art technology to tackle problems of
past and present climates and environments and the relation to societal
change.


Further details of the Centre may be found at: www.chrono.qub.ac.uk.

Funding:

Funding for the above projects is available through 2 studentships, which
will pay full fees and maintenance of circa £12,000 a year. Candidates
should hold a 1st class or 2:1 Honours degree in Archaeology or related
subject. Preference will be given to candidates with a Masters degree.  All
EU students are eligible to apply for the studentships. Moreover, one out of
the two projects above has sufficient funding to appoint one international
student (non EU).


How to apply:

Applicants should submit a completed Admission Form to the University.
Additionally, for these specific projects, prospective students should send
a Curriculum Vitae and covering letter stating which project they wish to be
considered for to: Dr N.J. Whitehouse, Palaeoecology Centre, Queen’s
University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN. Applicants should state clearly their
availability regarding commencement of the project they have applied for.
All applications should reach the University by the 8th December 2004.
Applications are not accepted electronically.


Contacts:

Applicants who require further information of the projects are encouraged to
visit: http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/projects.htm and make direct contact with
potential supervisors. Further information on the School may be obtained
from our web site at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal. For other information and
Admissions Forms, please contact: Mrs Gillian Johnson, Palaeoecology Centre,
Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN. Tel 028 90335141; email:
g.johnson at qub.ac.uk. Forms may also be downloaded at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/ado/postgrad/applying.html.



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Dr Nicki J. Whitehouse, F.R.E.S.
Centre for Chronology, Climate and Environmental Change,
Palaeoecology Centre
School of Archaeology and Palaeoecology
Queen's University Belfast
Belfast BT7 1NN
Tel +44 028 90973978
http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/staff/n_white.htm
http://www.chrono.qub.ac.uk/

INQUA Commission on Palaeoecology and Human Evolution
(http://www.inqua.tcd.ie/PAHE/)