The Faculty of Humanities’ PhD School at the University of Copenhagen invites applications for 1 PhD scholarship starting September 1, 2013 for a period of up to three years. The PhD scholar will be attached to the Egyptological section of the Department for Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies. The scholarship is funded by the project ‘Fertilizing the ground and harvesting the full potential of the new neutron and X-ray research infrastructures close to CopenhagenUniversity’ (UCPH Excellence Programme for Interdisciplinary Research, 2016 Funds).

Ancient Egypt offers several possibilities of studying social organization and history in a micro-perspective on the basis of primary sources, mainly manuscripts in the form of papyri. One of the main challenges is the fact that the ancient texts often lack a known archaeological context. Technological advancements in neutron and X-ray analysis are expected to be able to deliver chemical and structural fingerprints which will reflect the physical properties of manuscripts (both the internal structure of the papyrus and the chemical composition of the ink).

The aim of the project is dual: a) to test the possibility of mapping local/geographical traits in terms of both the physical qualities of the papyrus, its state of preservation, and the types of the ink used, and b) to study the social organization of one or more communities. The project is thus expected to explore the potential of the available X-ray and neutron technologies for papyrological research. The PhD scholar is expected to have first-hand experience in dealing with papyri and proficiency in cursive Egyptian scripts. The PhD scholar will further be expected to cooperate in the experiments at various international large-scale infrastructures.

Applicants need to hold a two-year Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or the equivalent. The application form (submitted online) must be accompanied by certified copies of the applicant’s Master’s degree diploma, transcript of records, documentation of English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS test), CV and project proposal. If any of the documents above is not in English, Danish, Swedish or Norwegian, its official translation in one of these languages shall be provided.

Application deadline: May 2, 2013

For further information, please contact Associate Professor Kim Ryholt, tel. +45 51300126. E-mail: [email protected]. For more details, please see the University website.