PhD in Early Modern Colonial Ethnohistory & Social Archaeology: Demographic and Settlement Developments in the Northern Mariana Islands, 16th-17th Centuries KU Leuven in Belgium

This PhD position at KU Leuven focuses on reconstructing the demographic and settlement developments in the Northern Mariana Islands during the 16th and 17th centuries, a period marked by early European colonial contact. The successful candidate will join the PacificPeopleForest consortium, an international and interdisciplinary research team investigating the long-term impacts of European colonialism on Pacific Island peoples and forests.

The project integrates historical, archaeological, and ecological perspectives to understand the interplay between human populations and forest dynamics before and after European contact. The research will involve reconstructing the ways of life of indigenous populations in the Mariana Islands, using historical documents to build a systematic ethnohistory.

The candidate will extract and analyze data on demography, settlement, plant use, and agriculture from colonial records, with a particular focus on the role of plants in Pacific Island societies. The project aims to provide a comparative perspective with Guam and to highlight the demographic impacts of colonialism, even in areas where European settlement was limited. The combination of textual and archaeological evidence will also shed light on traditional ecological knowledge and plant introductions, a topic that has not been systematically studied in this context.

The candidate will work closely with five other PhD students in the consortium, participate in international workshops and archival fieldwork, and contribute to the project database. The position is based at KU Leuven's Crossroads Research Centre, which specializes in early modern global history and transpacific maritime relations. Fieldwork will be conducted in European archives and on the Northern Mariana Islands, and the candidate will have opportunities to visit European partners, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and present at conferences.

Applicants should have a Master's degree in History or a related field, with a strong background in early modern history and Spanish colonial history. Essential skills include paleography (especially Spanish), archival research, and proficiency in English, Spanish, Dutch, and ideally French. IT and GIS skills are desirable.

The position offers a 3-year contract (1-year initial, with a 2-year extension upon successful evaluation) as part of a Marie Curie Doctoral Network, with salary and benefits according to KU Leuven and EU standards. KU Leuven is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity. The preferred start date is February 1, 2026, with online interviews scheduled for December 2025.