Project description: Your mission will consist of combining and completing cultural databases covering a broad geographical area and a long chronological span, followed by conducting statistical and geographical analyses of the entire dataset
These tasks are integrated into action 5 of Work Package 3 «Network analysis applied to the dissemination of innovations» as well as action 1 of Work Package 4 «The emergence of a mediated symbolic behavior». By exploiting large datasets of adornment objects from more than 200 Upper Paleolithic sites and using methods that combine ecological and statistical approaches (GIS, cluster analyses, SNA, Bayesian analyses), we will achieve a more complete understanding of past cultural evolution.

Principal supervisors: Solange Rigaud and Francesco d'Errico, PACEA

Place of work: PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, 33615 PESSAC, France

Contract duration: 12 months

Expected starting date: May 1st 2026

Project description: The position of research assistant in chemical analyses falls within the chronology research area, which includes the luminescence and electron spin resonance laboratories. Scientific responsibility will be shared by Maïlys Richard (co-PI WP2, in charge of Action 3 of WP2) and Michael Toffolo (in charge of Action 3 of WP2), and Chantal Tribolo (head of the luminescence group). This full-time position will be based primarily at the Maison de l’Archéologie (UBM campus). Approximately 75% of work will take place in low-light conditions. Travel between laboratories on the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Montaigne university campuses, as well as potential fieldwork, will be required.

This position is part of Action 3 of the GPR « Environmental and Chronological Context of Pleistocene Human Occupations », coordinated by Maïlys Richard and Michael Toffolo. It is primarily dedicated to the preparation of samples for geochronological analysis (sediment, heated rocks, and teeth) using trapped-charge dating methods (luminescence and electron spin resonance). Additional responsibilities include instrument maintenance, conducting experiments, developing sample preparation protocols, and participating in the supervision of interns/students.

Principal supervisors: Maïlys Richard, Michael Toffolo, Chantal Tribolo, Archéosciences Bordeaux

Place of work: Archéosciences Bordeaux UMR6034, Maison de l’archéologie, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 33607 Pessac cedex, France

Contract duration: 24 months

Expected starting date: April 1st 2026

Project description: The objective of your mission is to develop an innovative methodological approach, enabling the construction of integrated graphs combining cultural and biological data, in order to better characterize the dynamics of cultural diffusion versus demographic dynamics during the evolution of human populations. The methods will be applied to various geo-chrono-cultural contexts targeted by researchers at the GPR Human Past.

The project aligns perfectly with the objectives of WP1-Action 3 of the GPR Human Past, which aims to disentangle the respective/combined roles of "environmental and socio-cultural factors affecting the genetic and phenotypic variation" of human populations.

·       Bioinformatics development of graph methods

·       Propose their application to the research themes of GPR members

·       Dissemination of the results in the form of research articles

Principal supervisors: Marie-France DEGUILLOUX et Mélanie PRUVOST, PACEA

Place of work: PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, 33615 PESSAC, France

Contract duration: 12 months

Expected starting date: April 1st 2026