Missions

The recruited agent will have as their main task to lead a project in geomorphology and geoarchaeology and manage a team of researchers and engineers. This project is hosted by the UMR 5133 Archéorient (Lyon).
The project aims to conduct a diachronic study of the landscapes, paleoenvironments, and society-environment interactions of the Khaybar Oasis, located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. It will focus on 1) the evolution of paleoenvironments from the end of the Pleistocene to the present day, and 2) the anthropisation of the environment and the oasis agroecosystem over the past millennia.
For the first theme, the following tasks are expected:
- Reconstruct the paleogeography of the Khaybar valleys and the spatial and temporal variability of sedimentary deposits;
- Document the evolution of hydrosedimentary and paleoecological dynamics and understand the forcing factors;
- Identify and date volcanic activity if recorded in the sedimentary archives;
- Characterise the variability of Pleistocene and Holocene climate if recorded in the sedimentary archives;
- Assess the impacts of environmental changes on human occupations.

For the second theme, the following tasks are expected:
- Evaluate the anthropogenic impacts on hydrosedimentary dynamics and processes;
- Study agroecosystems through sedimentary archives and hydraulic structures;
- Characterise the available resources and their exploitation over time;
- Define the diachronic evolution of human societies' impacts on their environment

Activités

- Lead a project and manage a team of researchers and engineers (main activity). The recruited agent will be responsible for maintaining communication with funders and Franco-Saudi partners and will ensure the scientific progress of the project.
- Manage administrative tasks. Establish the framework for the scientific mission: confirm on-site contacts to address logistical questions, including accommodation, organisation of field operations, logistical setup, local and international scientific collaborations, etc.
- Organise and supervise geophysical acquisitions. The recruited agent will conduct geophysical analyses in the field, either before or in parallel with sediment coring campaigns. These analyses should be performed using the most suitable method for the study area, namely electrical tomography or magnetic anomaly detection. The purpose is to probe the depths and geometry of sedimentary fills in the valleys and to determine the most appropriate locations for sediment cores (looking for maximum depth and the greatest variety of deposits).
- Conduct and supervise sediment coring – light equipment. The recruited agent will perform sediment coring using light drilling equipment (Atlas Copco - Cobra TT), purchased specifically for the project and remaining in Khaybar for its duration. Coring must be extensive and numerous within the main valleys of Khaybar, primarily organised in cross-sectional transects, to probe the entirety of the buried sedimentary deposits, which may be preserved in a discontinuous and fragmented manner due to the high spatial variability of alluvial and marsh deposits. Most cores will be taken using an open gouge to observe and describe the stratigraphy of the deposits on-site, and some cores will use a closed gouge with a 1-metre PVC tube to collect the most interesting sequences for laboratory study.
- Conduct and supervise sediment coring – geotechnics. The recruited agent will oversee sediment coring using heavy drilling equipment, with potential geotechnical expertise, preferably from the CCF (national coring platform of the CNRS). One or two geotechnical drilling campaigns are planned, as the light drilling equipment will not be powerful enough to reach depths beyond 6 to 8 metres, and therefore, the oldest sediment layers in these valleys. These boreholes are essential to document the environments at the end of the Pleistocene. They should be fewer in number and conducted at the most strategic locations.
- Conduct and supervise geoarchaeological sondages. The recruited agent will oversee the execution of sondages using mechanical excavation, in order to open larger surface areas and observe and document the geometric variability of the deposits, particularly in the upper meters of the sedimentary fill. This variability can be significant, especially for anthropogenic deposits and those related to oasis agricultural practices (stratigraphic overlaps, backfilling, etc.). Sondages will be carried out in areas where the sediment cores show strong potential in the upper meters of the sedimentary fill.
- Conduct and supervise sample collection and export. The recruited agent will organise the collection of numerous sediment samples, either 'bulk' from open gouge cores and stratigraphic sections within the sondages, or 'continuous' from closed gouge cores and 1-metre PVC tube samples. These samples will then be exported to France for further laboratory analysis. The majority of the samples must be exported via air freight, using a dedicated logistics company.
- Conduct and supervise laboratory analyses. The recruited agent will lead and supervise numerous physico-chemical analyses in the laboratory, which will provide a range of indicators revealing major trends in environmental and climatic evolution, as well as anthropogenic impacts on the environment. Most of the work will be carried out in Lyon at the OMEAA analytical platform, shared between UMR 5133 Archéorient and 5600 EVS. To characterise the evolution of hydrosedimentary and paleoecological dynamics, multi-proxy studies will be performed, combining sedimentary and geochemical analyses using the laboratory's instrumental facilities (laser granulometry, magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition, portable X-fluorescence, mid-infrared spectroscopy, micromorphology). These analyses will be complemented by imaging and X-fluorescence studies using a core-scanner to obtain very high-resolution signals from the most relevant cores. Additionally, paleoecological studies (anthracology, palynology, ostracods, phytoliths) will be conducted by various specialists, mainly from CNRS, enabling the reconstruction of vegetation and landscape dynamics. Numerous dating analyses will also be necessary, combining radiocarbon, OSL, and to a lesser extent U/Th and cosmogenic nuclides. These methods will provide a robust and high-resolution chronostratigraphic framework, essential for achieving all the objectives of this project.

Compétences

- PhD, training in geoarchaeology - environmental archaeology.
- Ability to lead a field team and train students in a foreign linguistic and cultural context.
- Strong managerial skills with the ability to communicate, listen, and lead a research project composed of multiple researchers.
- Good knowledge of the environmental and archaeological contexts of Northwest Arabia.
- Research experience in the region.
- Fluency in English, both spoken and written (minimum C1 level).
- Advanced skills in sedimentological and geochemical analyses, and in common softwares (CAD, GIS, photogrammetry and databases).
- Experience in writing reports and scientific publications in peer-reviewed international journals.
- Rigour, organisational skills, autonomy, and responsiveness; ability to work in a foreign environment (many trips to Saudi Arabia).

Résultats attendus et contrôles

Several deliverables are expected and will determine the end of the contract:
- The design of a database, which will provide a precise inventory of the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental data acquired during this project. This database, designed, hosted, and managed by UMR 5133 Archéorient, which has all the necessary human and computational resources for database creation and management, will, for the first time, highlight and archive the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental data from the Khaybar Oasis for the long term.
- The creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS), which will precisely spatialise the geographic data acquired during this project. This GIS, also hosted and managed by UMR 5133 Archéorient, will aim to record spatial data, thus allowing the results of the project to be localised, communicated, and preserved over the long term.
- The production of a map, which will graphically represent the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental data from the Khaybar Oasis. This map will specifically illustrate the paleogeography of the main valleys and its evolution at various archaeological periods.
- The writing of annual and final reports, which will detail all the results obtained from the field missions. These reports will provide an overview of the progress of the research and offer an initial presentation of the geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental data from the Khaybar Oasis.
- The organisation of an international conference in Lyon, hosted by UMR 5133 Archéorient, which will feature specialists on geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental issues of the region, and beyond, experts working on the evolution of arid environments since the Pleistocene and the interactions between society and environment across the Arabian subcontinent and beyond.

Contexte de travail

The project is affiliated with UMR 5133 Archéorient (Lyon) and financed by the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA), in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU, Saudi Arabia). The position will be based in Lyon, in the 7th arrondissement, within UMR 5133 Archéorient. It will also involve frequent travel to Paris (AFALULA headquarters), to Archéorient's Jalès facility in southern Ardèche, and to Saudi Arabia, where several field missions are to be conducted.

Contraintes et risques

Frequent travel to Saudi Arabia, requiring approval from the FSD, involving field activities that may entail risks due to extreme environmental conditions (heat and aridity) in relatively isolated locations.