María Cruz Berrocal

This PhD position at the Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio (Incipit), part of the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the relationship between vegetation and the archaeological record in tropical environments, specifically focusing on the Mariana Islands. The project is embedded within the Marie Curie Doctoral Network 'PacificPeopleForest,' which aims to assess the long-term impacts of early European colonialism on Pacific Island peoples and forests. The successful candidate will develop non-invasive, holistic remote sensing tools to analyze the structure of current landscapes, particularly in forested areas of Rota Island, and explore how vegetation history relates to the distribution of ancient economic and settlement remains. The research involves high-resolution field data collection, advanced remote sensing, and interdisciplinary collaboration across archaeology, botany, and environmental science. Fieldwork will be conducted in the Pacific, with secondments at Naturalis (Netherlands) and the Forestry Section of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Rota, CNMI). The candidate will also engage with European partners, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and present at international conferences. The position offers a gross monthly salary of €3,495 (or €3,990 with family), a one-year contract extendable up to three years, public pension, paid leave, equipment allowance, and access to state-of-the-art facilities and a vibrant academic community. The PhD degree will be awarded by the University of Jaén (Spain). Applicants must hold a relevant MA/MPhil (or equivalent) with experience in remote sensing, demonstrate strong English proficiency, and possess collaborative and organizational skills. Experience in tropical fieldwork, GIS, and interests in archaeology and botany are advantageous. The application requires a CV, degree certificates, and a motivation letter (2-3 pages) with referee contacts, submitted as a single PDF to [email protected] by November 23, 2025. For further information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]. This position is ideal for candidates eager to contribute to pioneering, interdisciplinary research on cultural heritage and environmental change in a supportive, international setting.

This fully funded PhD position is part of the Marie Curie Doctoral Network project 'History, Archaeology, and Botany of Pacific Islands: assessing the Long-Term Impacts of Early European colonialism on Peoples and Forests' (PacificPeopleForest). Hosted at the Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio (Incipit), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), the project focuses on the tropical landscape archaeology of the Mariana Islands, with a particular emphasis on the inland areas of Rota. The research aims to address gaps in current knowledge, which is heavily biased toward coastal settlement patterns, by conducting extensive fieldwork and developing the first chronological assessment of prehistoric settlement, agricultural practices, and demographic estimations for the region. The successful candidate will analyze surface topography, material culture dispersions, and stratigraphic information, with a special focus on prehistoric pottery and archaeometric analysis. The project also offers opportunities to develop new site-oriented approaches, such as LiDAR processing and predictive modeling for archaeological sites in tropical environments. The PhD student will participate in secondments at the Micronesian Area Research Center (Guam) and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Saipan), as well as training and educational visits to European consortium partners. The position includes publishing research in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at international conferences. The PhD degree will be awarded by the University of Santiago de Compostela. The Incipit research group provides a vibrant, interdisciplinary environment with regular academic and social activities, and the student will work closely with supervisors Dr. María Cruz Berrocal and Dr. Jesús García Sánchez, as well as other consortium PhD students. The position offers a gross monthly salary of €3,495 (or €3,990 with family), a full-time contract, paid leave, pension scheme, and equipment allowance. Applicants must hold a relevant master's degree by the start date, demonstrate strong English proficiency, and have experience in tropical fieldwork, archaeological materials, and GIS. Additional skills in statistics, pottery processing, and prehistoric agriculture are advantageous. The application deadline is November 23, 2025, with an expected start date of February 2026.