Informations générales
Intitulé de l'offre : Postdoctorate (M/F) Beyond the "Olmec Phenomenon" : Technological Characterization of Preclassic Ceramics from the basin of Mexico (H/F)
Référence : UMR8096-CHLAND-003
Nombre de Postes : 1
Lieu de travail : PARIS 04
Date de publication : lundi 7 juillet 2025
Type de contrat : Chercheur en contrat CDD
Durée du contrat : 18 mois
Date d'embauche prévue : 1 octobre 2025
Quotité de travail : Complet
Rémunération : between 3 081€ et 4 756€ euros per month depending on experience
Niveau d'études souhaité : Doctorat
Expérience souhaitée : Indifférent
Section(s) CN : 31 - Hommes et milieux : évolution, interactions
Missions
Long considered by archaeologists as the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, the influence of the Olmec civilization (1200-600 B.C.) extended over much of present-day Mexico. However, the nature and diversity of these regional interactions remain a debated topic. The Basin of Mexico, also an early cultural hub, demonstrates significant interactions with the Olmec region between 1250 and 800 B.C. To better
understand the nature of these connections, this study will focus on two emblematic sites in the basin—Zohapilco-Tlapacoya and Tlatilco—where ceramic productions exhibit a style considered Olmec. The study proposes to analyze their ceramic productions using a chaîne opératoire approach. For a comparative
perspective, a ceramic collection from the Olmec site of San Lorenzo will also be examined. The chaîne opératoire approach aims to characterize technical traditions defined as an inherited way of doing and thus an expression of a social group, to assess the presence or absence of variability in learning and social
affiliations among potters. This analysis involves reconstructing the ceramic manufacturing process by identifying traces linked to various forming operations through macroscopic and microscopic scales of analysis. Petrographic analysis, X-ray fluorescence, and radiographic studies will also be conducted to determine the origin of the ceramics and the techniques used. The corpus includes complete vessels from Zohapilco-Tlapacoya preserved at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. It also includes fragments from the same site, as well as from Tlatilco and San Lorenzo, stored at the Direction of Comparative Archaeological Collections of INAH in Mexico City and in the Museum of Anthropology in Xalapa, Veracruz.
Activités
- Inventory of the collections at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
- On-site study of the collections in each region
- Selection of a sample of thin sections to be analyzed at the LANCIC and ANCRYM laboratories in Mexico City
- Analysis and interpretation of the results
- Analyse et interprétation des résultats
Compétences
- The candidate must hold a PhD in archaeology with extensive experience in pre-Columbian ceramics.
- Skills in technological analysis of ceramic collections and the ability to collaborate with petrographers and geochemists.
- Autonomy and the ability to work in a team in a bilingual (Spanish) environment.
- Familiarity with the Mexican field and museum work.
- Knowledge of Spanish is essential.
Contexte de travail
The project will be developed within the Archaeology of the Americas (UMR 8096) laboratories under the direction of Chloé Andrieu, and Trajectoire (UMR 8215) under the direction of François Giligny, both of which are located at the Centre Malher in Paris (75004), in partnership with the National Museum of Anthropology (under the supervision of Patricia Ochoa), and the Department of Comparative Archaeological Collections (DCAC, under the supervision of Sara Corona) in Mexico City.
Contraintes et risques
No constraints or risks identified