[Sasnet] (no subject)

[Bonnie.A.B.Blackwell at williams.edu]

*Laboratory Technician: Distal Tephra sample preparation and analysis, 
as part of the RESET NERC Consortium Grant*

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*RESEARCH LABORATORY FOR ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE HISTORY OF ART *

* *

*Grade 4: Salary £18,165 - £21,050 p.a.*

 

RESET (RESponse of humans to abrupt Environmental Transitions) is a NERC 
Consortium project funded to ca. £3.0 million which will commence on 1st 
January, 2008 and last for five years.  The project is a collaborative 
one between the School of Archaeology at Oxford University (Nick Barton, 
Simon Blockley, Christopher Bronk Ramsey, Mark Pollard) The Natural 
History Museum (Chris Stringer), the National Oceanography Centre, 
Southampton (Eelco Rohling, Andy Roberts) and the Departments of 
Geography and Geology at Royal Holloway University of London (Clive 
Gamble, John Lowe, Martin Menzies).  The Science Co-ordinator is John 
Lowe, Royal Holloway, and Rupert Housley has been appointed as Project 
Manager.   The project aims to improve our understanding of how humans 
may have responded to rapid environmental changes during the recent 
past.  This will require improved chronology and correlation of 
high-resolution marine and terrestrial (including archaeological) 
records from sites located throughout Europe and North Africa.  RESET 
will employ tephrochronology to provide a chronological 'lattice' for 
synchronizing records and events, and develop high-precision age models 
for individual sequences using a Bayesian statistical approach.  The 
project brings together experts in Palaeolithic archaeology, late 
Quaternary palaeoclimatology, marine geology, volcanic geology and 
tephrochronology, radiocarbon dating and age modelling, and relevant 
statistical applications.
The post will be principally aimed at processing samples for tephra 
analyses, and routine microscopic analyses of prepared slides to find 
tephra, and assisting with electron microprobe analyses of any tephra 
shards. Experience of the first two aspects of the post or related 
laboratory experience is a significant advantage. The electron 
microprobe analyses will be conducted as part of a team with trained 
analysts, and experience of using this equipment is not essential but is 
desirable. The post holder may also be expected to travel with other 
members of the team to take samples in the field and from core archives 
within Europe and North Africa. A relevant qualification in physical 
geography, archaeology, geology or related disciplines is essential. The 
hours are 36.5 hours per week, but some flexibility will be required for 
example during fieldwork.

 

The post is a fixed term contract for 36 months, commencing on the 1^st 
March or soon after.  Further particulars are available from Dr S 
Blockley (simon.blockley at rlaha.ox.ac.uk 
<mailto:simon.blockley at rlaha.ox.ac.uk>), the Administrator 
(jane.simcox at rlaha.ox.ac.uk <mailto:jane.simcox at rlaha.ox.ac.uk>) or from 
the website: http://www.rlaha.ox.ac.uk/adverts/RESET_0801B.pdf. 

 

There is no application form.  Applications, including a full curriculum 
vitae, a covering letter explaining how the curriculum vitae relates to 
the selection criteria outlined in the further particulars, and the 
names and contact details of two referees (at least one of whom should 
be the applicant's current or previous employer), should be sent to Mrs 
J Simcox, Administrator, Research Laboratory for Archaeology & the 
History of Art, Dyson Perrins Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY 
(or jane.simcox at rlaha.ox.ac.uk), for receipt not later than 25 January 
2008.