Missions

This post-doctoral research contract is an integral part of the ANR PRME EPICEs (European Past Interglacial Climate and Environments: west-east variability and associated human occupations within calcareous tufas) led by Julie Dabkowski (DR CNRS, LGP). This project aims to explore the climatic and environmental variability of past interglacials across temperate Europe in order to 1) discuss human-climate-environment relationships during prehistory and 2) document changes in biodiversity over time, in order to provide keys to understanding the current distribution of biocenoses and managing their modification in response to global climate change. Over the last few decades, the team behind this project has developed a proven multidisciplinary methodology (stratigraphy, geochemistry, malacology, palaeobotany, archaeology) for studying tufa deposits. It has been demonstrated that these carbonate formations are the only record of past interglacial optima in an alluvial context, and that they constitute one of the best continental archives for the joint study of palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimates. Among the Pleistocene interglacials, the SIM5e (last interglacial or Eemian) is best represented by numerous tufas across Europe, some of which also preserve archaeological remains. Two Eemian tufas are the subject of new research: Resson (Aube, France) and Burgtonna (Thuringia, Germany) as part of this ANR. The results will be compared with available data (Caours, France) in order to establish a west-east European transect of environmental and climatic variability during the last interglacial and to position Neanderthal occupations within this dynamic framework.
In this multi-disciplinary context, the researcher recruited will be tasked with reconstructing, in detail and in 3 dimensions, the dynamics of the emplacement of the tufa deposits studied, using geomorphological, stratigraphic, geophysical and LiDAR data, etc. The main objectives are to
- To integrate old data with that recently obtained (or in the process of being obtained), particularly malacology data.
- Propose multiscale reconstructions of eemian landscapes.
- Determine preferential zones within the tuffs studied (at given times) for the installation of human occupations.

Activités

- Inventory, selection and formatting of geomorphological, geophysical and associated data already available for each site (data from previous studies and data acquired as part of the ANR)
- Diagnosis of complementary data requirements and acquisition of such data in the field and in the laboratory (Geomorphology / LiDAR / Geophysics / Geochronology)
- Integration of data from other disciplines (malacology, archaeology, geochemistry, palaeontology, etc.)
- Interpolation and 3D reconstructions of the dynamics of the development of each site, multiscale reconstructions of palaeo-surfaces and palaeo-landscapes at key moments in this development.
- Curation of geomorphological and geophysical data

Compétences

Expertise
- Extensive field experience in geology, geomorphology and/or geoarchaeology
- Mastery of geophysical methods and tools
- Mastery of 3D tools
- Geochronology: knowledge of absolute dating methods and protocols applicable to the sites studied (e.g. ESR and/or U-Th dating)
- Writing of scientific reports and articles
- Fluency in scientific English
- Experience of marketing to the general public
Personal skills
- Collaborative teamwork
- Project management and autonomy
- Curiosity and initiative
- Experience in archaeology/geoarchaeology (ability to work on an archaeological excavation)

Contexte de travail

The person recruited will be based at the Physical Geography Laboratory (UMR 8591 CNRS-Université Paris 1-UPEC) in Thiais (tram T7 - stop Bretagne). The research work carried out at the LGP is divided between fundamental and applied research, including, for example, the reconstruction of Quaternary palaeoenvironments, the historical evolution of hydrological systems, biodiversity analysis, the effects of global climate change on mountain environments, the assessment of the dynamics of natural hazards and, for each of these themes, research into the impact of environmental variability on the human populations concerned, involving the implementation of prevention protocols in applied cases. At the LGP, the post-doctoral student will interact primarily with Julie Dabkowski, a geologist specialising in calcaresous tufas, Nicole Limondin-Lozouet, a malacologist specialising in interglacial faunas, particularly Pleistocene faunas, and Eva Sambourg, a doctoral student in malacology working on the Resson and Burgtonna faunas as part of the ANR EPICEs programme.
LGP has a geophysical analysis platform whose equipment could be made available to the person recruited for the acquisition of additional data.

Contraintes et risques

Several field trips lasting 2 to 5 days are planned, both to Resson and Burgtonna.

Informations complémentaires

This post-doctoral contract is funded as part of the ANR PRME EPICEs (ANR-24-CE27-1098).