Postdoctoral Research Associate

Durham University's Department of Archaeology is one of the UK's best Departments of Archaeology with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. We are regularly ranked one of the top three Archaeology departments in the UK (e.g. 2nd in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, 2nd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026) and one of the top ten departments globally (6th in the World University QS rankings 2025). Our expertise covers a broad chronological and geographical span, from the Palaeolithic to the present-day, and from South Asia to the Mediterranean, Europe and the British and Irish Isles, including a strong suite of research projects in the Middle East. For further information on our current projects, research and teaching see: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/archaeology/.

The Role

The Department of Archaeology at Durham University seeks to appoint a talented researcher to the role of Postdoctoral Research Associate. The successful candidate will have expertise in bioarchaeology, with particular experience in the analysis of infants. They will be responsible for developing digital resources from existing materials to upskill archaeological and forensic science professionals in the excavation and analysis of infant skeletal remains from archaeological and forensic contexts. These resources will contribute towards the Continuing Professional Development of relevant practitioners, as well as provide key learning resources for interested parties. The successful applicant will be expected to work collaboratively with other technical staff to develop and create appropriate resources. The project is led by Dr Claire Hodson and Professor Rebecca Gowland.