Sinclair Hood Archive Project Assistant at the BSA

The British School at Athens is pleased to announce the opening of the Sinclair Hood Archive Project Assistant position, a 12-month fixed term post made possible with the generous support of The Knossos Trust.

Sinclair Hood (1917–2021) was one of the great archaeologists of the 20th century and was particularly associated with the Minoan Palace of Knossos where he worked and excavated for many years. He first studied at Oxford University and later at University College London where he received his Diploma in Archaeology under the mentorship of world renown archaeologists, Kathleen Kenyon and V. Gordon Childe. Afterwards, in 1947, he came out to Greece as a student of the British School at Athens participating in various excavations in Greece and the Middle East for the next few years. He was BSA Assistant Director 1949-1950 and BSA Director 1954-62.

He spent much of his life researching the history of Knossos, including a major programme of excavations during his Directorship but also directed excavations at Emporio in Chios at the beginning of his career, and was versed in the archaeology of Central Europe and the Near East, as well as every aspect of Aegean prehistory, on which he wrote profusely. In Greece he revolutionised methods for British archaeologists and trained many students who later became project directors. His monumental study, The Masons’ Marks of Minoan Knossos, was published in 2020, when he was 103.

The Sinclair Hood Collection, donated to the BSA by his family, is an estimated 50 linear meters of material consisting of notes, drawings, notebooks, photographic material, correspondence and numerous oversized plans dating from ca. 1930s-2020.

Responsibilities

-appraisal of the Hood Collection in order to separate it into two of the BSA Archive Fonds: the Excavations Records and the Personal Papers. Documents from Hood’s excavations in Knossos, Chios and other areas he worked in will be catalogued into its relevant excavation collection (fond) within the ‘BSA Excavation Records’ (e.g. Hood Knossos material will be integrated into the Knossos Excavation Records) and the remaining material of the Hood Archive will be catalogued as the ‘Sinclair Hood Personal Papers’.
-arrange the Hood Collection in appropriate fonds (see above) and create archival hierarchies for each appropriately
-catalogue the collections to ISAD (G) standards into Collection Management Software (CMS), EMu (Electronic Museum Management System-Axiell ALM) to file level.
-produce archival finding aid of collections

Essential Requirement

-postgraduate archive qualifications and/or relevant degree;
-excellent knowledge of the management of archives and manuscripts;
-familiarity with archaeological archives;
-excellent computer and data entry skills (especially working with Excel);
-experience of cataloguing and working with electronic collection management systems;
-excellent written and spoken English (to mother-tongue standard)

Desirable Requirements

-highly-motivated and enthusiastic, with excellent interpersonal and organisation skills, and ability to work independently;
-familiarity with Aegean and/or Mediterranean archaeology

The annual gross salary will be €22,400 plus private health insurance. The position is available from January 1, 2024 and will be based in Athens.

Application Process

Applicants should supply the following:
-A covering letter (of no more than two pages), giving the applicant’s contact details, outlining the reasons for applying, giving details of supporting enclosures, and summarising the applicant’s principal qualifications for the job;
-A curriculum vitae, giving details of past employment, academic and other qualifications and other relevant experience;
-Candidates are required to provide the contact details (telephone & email) of two referees who will supply letters of reference via the link they will be sent (upon the candidate submitting their application) by the closing date.

Applications should be submitted via the ‘Apply Here’ button at https://www.bsa.ac.uk/2023/11/07/sinclair-hood-archive-project-assistant/ by the closing date: Friday, 1 December 2023. Reference letters must also be received by the closing date.
Interviews of shortlisted candidates will take place shortly thereafter by teleconferencing.