The interdisciplinary Research Training Group (GRK) 1876 “Early Concepts of Man and Nature: Universal, Local, Borrowed” established by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz invites applications for a four-year postdoc position starting on April 1, 2018.

The GRK is directed by scholars from the fields of Egyptology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Pre- and Protohistorical Archaeology (Pleistocene Archaeology), Near Eastern Archaeology, Classical Archaeology, Classics (Greek and Latin), Byzantine Studies and Medieval German Studies.

In the GRK’s research program, the object is to record examples of concepts of man and nature in the Near Eastern, Northeast African and European area in the period dating from ca. 100.000 years B.C.E. until the Middle Ages – based on textual, pictorial and material sources – and to study them from a culturally immanent as well as transcultural perspective. Four main focal subject areas have been defined:

1. Primordial conditions and elements, the origin and the end of the world;
2. Natural phenomena, the forces of nature, and natural catastrophes;
3. Flora, fauna, and natural environment;
4. The conceptualization of the human body, of disease, healing and death.

The successful applicant will

• work independently on an innovative research project from a transcultural comparatistic perspective within the above- mentioned subject areas, which will be finished in four years with a monograph;
• present her/his project on a regular basis within and outside of the GRK;
• lead, with support from the members, one of the workgroups focusing on the subject-areas (1)+(2) or (3)+(4) and to primarily author articles on the level of synthesis, which will be co-written by several authors of the workgroup;
• take part in supporting and developing the graduate school program and to communicate cooperatively with the professors and the Ph.D. students;
• take part in the activities of the GRK and in the meetings of the executive board.

Qualifications:

• finished Ph.D. with more than average success in one of the member-disciplines of the GRK;
• very good knowledge in one of the four subject-areas of the GRK and in the field of cultural theories and methods, documented by publications and/or your dissertation;
• experience in international scientific cooperation and interdisciplinary research;
• structured and independent way of working, originality, team-orientation, social skills and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with various publics;
• very good knowledge of German and English.