The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is a European Non-profit Science and Technology oriented Educational and Research Institution based in Cyprus and led by an acclaimed Board of Trustees. The research agenda of the CyI is pursued at its four Research Centres: The Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC), the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Centre (STARC), the Energy Environment Water Research Centre (EEWRC) and the Climate and Atmosphere Research Centre (CARE-C). Considerable cross-centre interaction is a characteristic of the Institute’s culture.

The Cyprus Institute invites applications for a highly motivated professional to join the Institute at the position of Assistant in Osteoarchaeology at STARC. STARC is devoted to the development, introduction and use of advanced science and technologies in the field of archaeology, cultural heritage, and history of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean region. At STARC, research scientists and doctoral students, often in partnership with national or international research organizations, employ diverse and multidisciplinary methods of physical and chemical characterisation for the study of material culture.

The successful candidate will support research activities in osteoarchaeology, including the macroscopic analysis of human skeletal remains, as well as more specialized laboratory analyses, such as sample preparation for microscopic and isotopic analyses, with emphasis on collagen extraction, cleaning of dental calculus samples, and 3D documentation. The successful candidate may also occasionally engage in the excavation of human skeletal remains in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, and foreign missions working on the island. Finally, the candidate will actively engage in the development of STARC bioarchaeology resources, such as the Bi(bli)oArch database (https://www.biblioarch.com/ , SrIsoMed (https://srisomed.emmebioarch.com/) and currently built databases of published bioarchaeological data from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.

The Assistant will need to be thorough when carrying out their duties, successfully maintain records of laboratory processes, and generate reliable reports. On‐the‐job training, will be provided at the beginning of employment, and throughout, as necessary.

The appointment will be on a full‐time basis for an initial period of 12 months with the possibility of renewal, depending on performance and availability of funds. An internationally competitive remuneration package will be offered, which is commensurate with the level of experience of the successful candidate.

Responsibilities/activities to be involved in:

1. Cleaning human skeletal remains (mostly dry brushing but occasionally washing);
2. Studying macroscopically human skeletal remains and presenting the results of relevant studies in written reports;
3. Excavating skeletal remains, when requested by archaeologists of the Department of Antiquities or foreign missions in Cyprus, especially in the case of challenging contexts, such as commingled remains;
4. Collecting, labelling, documenting and registering samples for more specialized analyses;
5. Sample preparation, with emphasis on sampling skeletal and dental tissues, collagen extraction;
6. Microscopic analysis, such as dental microwear, using 3D digital microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy;
7. 3D documentation of human skeletal normal and pathological anatomy towards creating a digital reference collection;
8. Expanding the STARC digital bioarchaeology library;
9. Expanding STARC bioarchaeology open access databases (SrIsoMed, Bi(bli)oArch and others);
10. Providing other technical support, when necessary.

Required Qualifications

1. A Βachelor’s degree in any field, with a degree in History, Archaeology, Anthropology, or cognate subjects as an advantage.
2. High level of communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt to a multicultural/multinational environment.
3. Fluency in spoken and written English.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in Osteoarchaeology/Bioarchaeology, or cognate subjects will be considered a competitive advantage;
• Prior familiarity with lab processes will be considered as a competitive advantage;
• Prior working experience with the Department of Antiquities in Cyprus will be considered as a competitive advantage.

Application

For full consideration, interested applicants should process their application at The Cyprus Institute Exelsys Platform (https://onlinerecruitment.exelsyslive.com/?c=6E7274A2-8EBA-4BEA-905B-06F790EEB566) based on the instructions given. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae including a short letter of interest, and a list of two (2) referees (including contact information) (all documentation should be in English and in PDF Format). For further information, please contact Dr Efthymia Nikita (e.nikita@cyi.ac.cy).Please note that applications which do not fulfill the required qualifications and do not follow the announcement’s guidelines will not be considered.

Recruitment will continue until the position is filled. 

The Cyprus Institute is an Equals Opportunity employer certified from the Cypriot Ministry of Labor and also an HRS4R accredited Institution that adheres to the European Commission’s “Charter & Code” principles for recruitment and selection.

Contact person: Dr Efthymia Nikita (e.nikita@cyi.ac.cy)

Reference number: STARC_AO_22_05