Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Research Project AnHuNav, Research Area 2: The Archaeology of Trade and Pilgrimage Routes in the Southern Levant

About us

Background

The University of Oldenburg is receiving 22.5 million euros from the Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation from the “Strategic Development of Potential” funding line to sharpen its profile and strengthen its national and international competitiveness through the project “A Programme for Excellence. Developing Strengths and Building Potentials by Interdisciplinary and International Networking.” Among other things, this is to be achieved through consistent networking across national and international borders, the promotion of students and scientists in early career phases and the strengthening of interdisciplinary research priorities in socially relevant and innovative areas.

The AnHuNav project is a collaborative Booster Unit associated with the Cluster of Excellence NaviSense (https://navisense.org/). AnHuNav is jointly directed by Prof. Dr. Benedikt Hensel, Prof. Dr. Torsten Jantsch (chair of New Testament) and Dr. Pauline N. Fleischmann (NaviSense). The project team comprises, in addition to the principal investigators, two postdoctoral researchers.

Information on Research Area 2 of AnHuNav

The successful candidate will join the Booster Unit “AnHuNav – Animal and Human Navigation in the Ancient Southern Levant: An Interdisciplinary Project on Spatial Perception, Route Formation, and Orientation between Environmental Knowledge and Textual Tradition (Iron Age to Roman Imperial Period)” at the University of Oldenburg and will conduct research within Research Area 2: The Archaeology of Trade and Pilgrimage Routes in the Southern Levant: Rediscovery of Ancient Cultural Techniques for Orientation and Computer Models (Geovisualisation / Spatial AI).

Research Area 2 is affiliated with the Chair of Hebrew Bible (Prof. Dr. Benedikt Hensel) and is co-directed in cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence NaviSense (Dr. Pauline N. Fleischmann). The research area contributes to the overarching goal of rediscovering ancient cultural techniques of orientation, with a particular focus on the traffic and communication networks of the Southern Levant, paying special attention to caravan, trade, and pilgrimage routes. While archaeological surveys and excavations provide rich evidence of routes ranging from the Incense Road to Transjordanian mountain passes and desert tracks, the environmental factors shaping these pathways—such as animal trails, water availability, and terrain navigability—have not yet been adequately modelled. The working hypothesis of this research area is that animal navigation, and specifically the ancient perception of animal movement, exerted significant influence on the selection and development of routes. This will be complemented by hydrological, topographical, urban, and trade-organisational data. The principal challenge lies in developing a computer-based model from this multimodal dataset. Using GIS-based analyses (least-cost path modelling, 3D terrain reconstruction, etc.), the project will reconstruct plausible route systems, integrating textual references, archaeological data, and environmental parameters. For additional information, please refer to the website: http://www.uol.de/anhunav.

From 2027 onwards, the project will be carried out in close cooperation with the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (DEI) in Jerusalem, whose designated director is Prof. Benedikt Hensel. 

Your tasks

• Conduct original research in the relevant fields, in interdisciplinary collaboration, with the aim of producing a monograph and additional scholarly publications.
• Contribute to the interdisciplinary research activities of the Booster Unit, including the organisation of workshops, conferences, and joint publications.
• Participate in regular interdisciplinary meetings of the Booster Unit and the Cluster of Excellence NaviSense, as well as, from 2027 onwards, in project-related research trips, especially to the DEI Jerusalem.
• Contribute actively to the development of future interdisciplinary research projects and to the preparation of third-party funding applications.
• Support networking activities with other Booster Units at the University of Oldenburg.
• Acquire and expand teaching competences.
• Take on tasks within academic self-administration.

Your profile

• A completed scientific university degree (Master/Diploma (Uni)) and PhD in Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, Archaeology of the Southern Levant / Biblical Archaeology, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated research interest in the history and cultures of the Southern Levant.
• Competence in relevant programming languages and experience in database design, management, and analysis.
• Strong record of scholarly publications, or demonstrable potential for producing high-level research output.
• Familiarity with archaeological data and fieldwork processes.
• Proven ability to work across disciplines and to contribute to collaborative projects integrating textual, archaeological, and digital data.
• Capacity for independent research combined with the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Willingness to participate in research stays at the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (DEI) in Jerusalem from 2027 onwards.

Our standards

The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Further information

The position is limited to four years, with the possibility of extension for one additional year, subject to a successful interim evaluation of the project’s progress.

Contact

For questions regarding the position, please contact: Prof. Dr. Benedikt Hensel, Email: [email protected]. Further information about the project can be found at: https://www.uol.de/anhunav/