Local Semitic Epigraphy Postdoc

**Department: LW21 - Talen en Culturen**:

- **Occupancy rate:100%**:

- **Number of positions: 1**:

- **Type of employment: Contract of unlimited duration with clause**:

- **Term of assignment: 3 years**:

- **Wage scale: PD1 to PD4 (doctoral degree)**:

- **Required diploma:PhD**

**ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY**

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For this project, you will work as part of the “AlUla Inscriptions Corpus Analysis Project (AICAP).” This is a four-year collaboration between Ghent University and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). The project will develop an online, accessible, long-term database of the inscriptions documented in the AlUla valley, in Saudi Arabia, by the RCU. The inscriptions include texts from as early as the 6th century BC up to modern Arabic graffiti.

The goal of the project is to digitize and analyze the thousands of inscriptions that the RCU collected to understand and share AlUla's rich, intercultural history through the inscriptions of its historical residents and visitors, while also shedding new light on, among others, Ancient North Arabian languages and Arabic. The project will also contribute to capacity building and public outreach programming in AlUla.

**YOUR TASKS**
- At least 70% of your assignment will be spent on academic research,
- In collaboration with other project members, you will be responsible for transcribing, annotating and translating inscriptions composed in a variety of local pre-Islamic Semitic scripts and languages for the project database, depending on your expertise this will include texts in different Ancient North Arabian (ANA) varieties, Aramaic and Nabataean Aramaic,
- You will mentor MA students working on ANA and Aramaic/Nabataean Aramaic corpora within the project depending on your expertise and necessity within the project,
- You will be expected to design and teach academic courses on Pre-Islamic Semitic epigraphy from the Arabian Peninsula, and fieldwork methods,
- You will be responsible for the publication of your results in intermediate project reports and in the final synthetic project report,
- You will be expected to publish some analytical studies of the corpus in peer reviewed journals and to contribute to scientific conferences.

**WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR**
- You hold a thesis-based doctorate in Semitic languages, historical linguistics, or another relevant field, (obtained max. 6 years ago. This term of 6 years is determined by the date written on the above-mentioned required diploma).
- You have a proven academic track record,
- You have a solid knowledge of Ancient Semitic languages and scripts, and pre-Islamic Arabian epigraphy (including ANA, Nabataean, and other kinds of Aramaic), with a willingness to expand your language skills as required,
- You have experience working with epigraphic material,
- You are expected to have good knowledge of the Pre-Islamic history of the Arabian Peninsula and the Near East. Knowledge of the history of the early Islamic period is considered an asset,
- You preferably have some experience working with databases,
- You have some experience teaching and mentoring MA students,
- Your English should be sufficient for effective academic communication and publication.
- You should be able and willing to spend time in Saudi Arabia for fieldwork.

**WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU**
- We offer you a contract of fixed duration with a maximum term of 3 years.
- Your contract will start on 1/07/2024 at the earliest.
- Your remuneration will be determined by salary scale PD1. Click here for more information about our salary scales.
- The opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia for fieldwork regularly.
- The opportunity to work as part of an international team on newly discovered epigraphic material.
- All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, a bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staffbenefits (in Dutch).

**INTERESTED?**
- In the field **‘CV’**: your CV and an overview of your study results (merged into one pdf file)
- In the field **‘Diploma’**: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of th