Postdoc Researcher

Postdoc Researcher in Historical Wood Technology for ERC WoodCulture project Vacaturenummer: 76416 Functieomschrijving Position For the ERC WoodCulture project we are looking for a PostDoc researcher with a PhD in (ship)archaeology, biology, forestry, geography, or related field, and with a strong affinity with ethnography, traditional wood working techniques and history. This is an on-site position based at the national Cultural Heritage Agency in Amersfoort (the Netherlands). WoodCulture aims to explain the dynamic relationships and interdependencies between timber products and technological innovations in the continental Euro-Atlantic region during the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance (c. CE). Expected results will redress biased perspectives about construction activities and timber supply (domestic vs. long distance) at a supra-regional level (continental Euro-Atlantic region). Within the wider scope of the project, the WP2 is dedicated to historical wood technology . What changes are observed in wood technology related to buildings (timber-framed roof structures) and ship designs in the Euro-Atlantic region from 1300 to 1600? When did they occur? What caused them? Were they triggered by changes in the available timber assortments (resulting from forestry practices such as coppicing), or by improved woodworking techniques? Are these changes common at a supra-regional Euro-Atlantic level (indicating technological exchange), or are there infra-regional differences? Job description You will visit ethnographic museums in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and elsewhere dedicated to traditional woodworking techniques (in shipbuilding and others) and will inventory the tools and their traces in wood and wood-processing methods through experimental archaeology. In collaboration with experts from TU Twente (Enschede) and LIACS (Leiden), you will test different methods of 3D scanning of timbers from d...