Project ESR13

Agricultural practices and environmental changes in the Phoenician-Punic Western Mediterranean during 8-5 th century BC: a novel multidisciplinary approach

Project Description and Objectives

The main objective of this project is to understand the changes occurring in Sardinia and Portugal with the arrival of the Phoenician-Punic merchants during the period spanning the 8^th-5^th centuries BC. An investigation into the agricultural strategies (husbandry practices and land management) and the environmental changes will be conducted in selected archaeological sites of Sardinia and Portugal. Stable isotopes (C, N, O, Sr) analysis of zoo-osteological materials (bone and teeth) of wild fauna and livestock will be combined with the archaeobotanical record (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs analysis, charcoal, seeds and plant macro remains) of the studied sites, to investigate the way of life of the populations, using a novel multidisciplinary approach.

Expected results:
→ Investigate diet and mobility of livestock during 8-5^th century BC in Sardinia and Portugal.
→ Investigate environmental changes during 8-5^th century BC in Sardinia and Portugal.
→ Access crop choices and land management practices in the different archaeological sites studied and relate them with the environmental conditions and husbandry practices.
→ Identify possible climate changes influencing agricultural practices and land use.
→ Contextualize the data obtained in the studied archaeological sites with available information for the same historical period around the Mediterranean area.

Type of Contract and Benefits

The selected ESR13 will be offered a full-time 36 months employment contract by the University of Évora (ICCS).

The contract will include the following allowances:

→Living Allowance (LA) = € €2771,01 per month corresponding to the monthly salary for the fellow before deductions: contributions of both employers and employees to social security, pension, taxation.
→ 500€ per month. The LA will be paid only if the recruited fellow has a "family status" at the time of enrolment.
→Mobility Allowance (MA) = 600€ per month. The MA is a contribution to household, relocation and travel expenses.

^*"Family" means persons linked to the researcher by marriage (or a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognized by the legislation of the country where this relationship was formalized) or dependent children who are actually being maintained by the ESR.

Doctoral Degree

ESR13 will be awarded a joint double degree by th University of Evora (UEVORA) in cotutelle with the University of Rome LaSapienza (UNIROMA1).

ESR13 research project will involve Secondments to the UNIROMA1 and University of Sassari (IT).

Eligibility Criteria

Main Eligibility criteria are indicated in section ADMISSION RULES

ESR13 Specific Requirements

Master (2^nd cycle equivalent according to the Bologna process) degree issue by an officially recognized academic institution which grants admission to PhD programmes in the country of issuance in one of the following fields: archaeological materials science, archeology, Cultural heritage, natural sciences, biology, archaeometry.

Additional requirements:
Previous experience in scientific analyzes applied to historical/archaeological objects.

Application Deadline

The deadline for the online submission of completed application forms available under section APPLICATION of the ED-ARCHMAT website is 28^th February 2019.