Estonian Biocentre/Institute of Genomics, Ancient DNA Research Group
Supervisor:
Dr. Christiana Scheib
Deadline:
1.07.2021
Salary:
25,944 euros per year gross (negotiable dependent on experience). The position is funded for up to three years. For a cost of living comparison see: numbeo. Temporary part-time and remote working are possible.
Project Description:
Traditionally, distinct political ranks in European prehistory have been identified through the differential treatment of individual burials. However, the connection between burial treatment and status is rarely so direct. Inequality may be evident through differential life chances, kinship, ritual or ancestorhood rather than through political command, wealth or identity. With this in mind, the EU-funded ANCESTORS project aims to test alternative models of prehistoric inequality and deathways. It will study social relations in life using osteobiography and explore deathways using funerary taphonomy. Combining the two methodologies will make it possible to connect ancient lives and deaths. The project’s results will provide insight into the ways that inequality affected lives in prehistoric Europe and the role that ancestors played in it.
Objective:
How did politics and inequality work in prehistoric Europe? Traditionally, politics has been seen in terms of discrete political ranks identified through differential treatment of individual burials. But this results in classifying much of prehistory, where the dead were treated in ways which effaced individual identity, as egalitarian. The result is an artificially dichotomous history: Neolithic people had landscapes, rituals and ancestors, Bronze and Iron Age people had politics and inequality. In the last two decades this approach has been strongly critiqued. Burial treatment rarely relates to status so directly; the dead serve many different political roles. Inequality in pre-state groups rarely consists of clear strata; inequality and equality exist in tension within groups. Inequality may have been present throughout European prehistory, but manifest situationally through differential life chances, kinship, ritual or ancestorhood, rather than overtly through political command, wealth or identity. But this new perspective has never been tested empirically.
This project tests alternative models of prehistoric inequality and deathways. To investigate social relations in life, it uses osteobiography, reconstructing life stories from skeletons through scientific data on identity, health, diet, mobility and kinship. To understand deathways, it employs a second new methodology, funerary taphonomy. Combining osteobiography and taphonomy allows us to connect ancient lives and deaths. Peninsular Italy
provides a substantial test sequence typical of much of Europe. For each of three key periods (Neolithic, 6000-4000 BC; Final Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, 4000-1800 BC; Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age, 1800-600 BC), 200+ individuals will be analysed. The results will allow us to evaluate for the first time how inequality affected lives in prehistoric Europe and what role ancestors played in it.
Your responsibilities will include the generation and analysis of ancient DNA shotgun libraries from bones and teeth for the burial sites covered by the project. You will work with another post-doc and one PhD student at the ancient DNA lab in Tartu to integrate metagenomics, proteomics and population genetics to further the aims of the project. You will also collaborate with our partners in Cambridge and Rome who will be providing the osteological and isotopic data. There will be opportunities for travel for conferences as well as project meetings.
About us:
The ancient DNA research group at the Estonian Biocentre, Institute of Genomics is a friendly, growing group focused on producing exemplary research in the fields of ancient human population genetics, pathogen genomics and the emerging field of ancient meta-genome/proteomics. The lab is headed by Dr. Scheib (Associate Professor of Ancient DNA) and includes Dr. Tambets (Associate Professor of Population Genetics), post-docs, PhD students, Master’s students and two laboratory technicians. You can check out our lab on Research Gate and the official UT website.
Duties and responsibilities:
The research fellow will be carrying out research activity in the field of ancient DNA including the generation of ancient human DNA NGS libraries from tooth and bone samples, analysis of this data and writing publications.
Required qualifications:
PhD in archaeogenetics, bioinformatics, bioarchaeology, biological anthropology, genetics, molecular biology, computer programming or related subjects. You must already have experience working in an ancient DNA cleanroom, knowledge of current wet lab protocols and bioinformatic analysis for population genetics.
Required language skills:
English
Starting at:
01.10.2021 as earliest
Workload:
1,0
Additional information:
Please contact Christiana Scheib: cls83@ut.ee for information.
Why the University of Tartu?