Description du sujet de thèse

Thesis subject
"Bioanthropological and geochemical study of protohistoric populations of the Arabian Peninsula"
A PhD contract is proposed at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1PS) within the framework of the Arabiancairns project (#ANR-22-CE27-0001), funded by the French National Research Agency, under the supervision of Olivia MUNOZ, for the beginning of the academic year 2023-2024 and for a period of three years.
He/she will be responsible for synthesising existing knowledge, collecting new data to characterise the diversity of subsistence strategies (diet, mobility) of the protohistoric societies of the Arabian Peninsula and defining a reliable chronological framework to help understand the evolution of lifeways in the region. The preferred methods are bioanthropological studies (oral and dental condition, health status, etc.), isotope analyses and radiocarbon dating of human remains.
This call is open to applicants who hold a Master's degree in biological anthropology or archaeology or equivalent from a university or higher education institution.

Tasks, activities
- Collection of new funerary and bioanthropological data from burial sites and bioanthropological study of human osteological collections (excavation and study missions in Oman and Saudi Arabia)
- Preparation, processing and analysis of samples (human bioapatite, charcoal) for radiocarbon dating and isotope analysis (Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle).
- Development of protocols adapted to the state of conservation of human remains in the region
- Construction of a database of bio-anthropological, radiocarbon dating and isotopic data to be integrated into the Arabiancairns project database
- Synthesis of the data generated by the project and previous data
- Writing articles, scientific dissemination (conferences, seminars...)

Skills required
- Mastery of excavation and recording methods for tombs and human remains
- Mastery of methods for biological identification of human remains
- Experience with the excavation and study of fragmented collections from collective burials would be a plus
- Theoretical and practical knowledge of the principles and methods of geochemistry
- Proficiency in French and English at a scientific level; knowledge of Arabic would be an advantage
- Good writing skills (report and article writing, in addition to dissertation writing).
- Ability to work in a team - independence - sense of responsibility and adaptability (sometimes difficult field conditions, living in a community) - good interpersonal skills
- Driving licence (field missions )

Contexte de travail

Research framework
The thesis will be integrated into the "Arabiancairns" project, which aims to analyse the large-scale megalithic phenomenon of cairn tombs or "tower tombs" characteristic of protohistoric Arabia (5500-300 BC). Tens of thousands of these tombs can still be seen in today's Arabian landscape. They are important archives for understanding the societies that inhabited Arabia for millennia, during the development of pastoralism and later agriculture. Moreover, these monuments bear witness to a profound socio-cultural transformation, as they mark the development of the inter-regional economic and cultural networks that would later flourish in Arabia. However, the process of their dissemination, as well as the subsistence economy of the societies that built them, is still poorly understood.
The aim of ARABIANCAIRN is to contribute to the characterisation of the societies that built these tombs in order to understand the emergence of this phenomenon and its spread in time and space. The objectives are (1) to characterise the cultural identity (burial traditions, construction techniques, associated grave goods), subsistence strategies (diet, mobility), lifestyles (health status, palaeodemography, social organisation) and connections (exchange networks) of the societies that built these tombs; (2) to define a reliable chronological framework for understanding the temporal distribution of this megalithic phenomenon; (3) to establish a GIS for the necropolises and associated metadata across the Arabian Peninsula in relation to their surroundings and to provide a geoarchaeological framework for tracing exchange networks.

Conditions of employment
The person recruited will :
- Start his/her position on 1 October 2023, with a 36-month full-time PhD contract
- Be enrolled at the P1PS University will affiliation at the UMR 8215 "Trajectoires. De la sédentarisation à l'État'", 9 rue Malher, 75004 Paris
- Work under the supervision of Laurence MANOLAKAKIS (CR, HDR, CNRS UMR 8215) and Antoine ZAZZO (DR, CNRS UMR 7209/MNHN) and under the supervision of Olivia MUNOZ (CR, CNRS UMR 8215)
- Be hosted in both laboratories (UMR 8215, 9 rue Malher, Paris / UMR 7209 AASPE-MNHN, rue Buffon, Paris), with working time equally distributed between the two sites

Contraintes et risques

Field missions (excavation, survey, study) in the Arabian Peninsula