PhD Studentship in Archaeobotany of the Zambezi Valley

About the role

The University of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology invites applications for a 3-year funded PhD studentship in archaeobotany, starting in April 2027. It is part of the ZAMBEZI project, a 5-year ERC Advanced Grant project on Zambezian entanglements in the South-Central African Iron Age, based on fieldwork in Zambia and Zimbabwe and centred on renewed excavations at Ingombe Ilede, Zambia. The studentship is co-supervised by Dr Alexander Weide and Professor Stephanie Wynne-Jones.

Key responsibilities

• Research plant use, agricultural practice and landscape change using data from flotation of material from excavations at Ingombe Ilede and neighbouring sites.
• Contribute to the ZAMBEZI project, which includes further excavations and exploration of the wider region, in collaboration with the National Museum of Zambia.
• Receive additional input from other members of the Department and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, and from external researchers depending on training needs.

Required profile

• Applicants must meet the requirement for a PhD in Archaeology.
• Familiarity with the archaeology of south-central Africa.
• A highly motivated applicant who will join the ZAMBEZI project.

What we offer

• A stipend covering maintenance and fee costs.
• For non-UK citizens, immigration health surcharge and visa fees are covered.
• Fieldwork costs, selected conference attendance and maintenance payments during parental leave are covered.

Applications are made through the postgraduate applicant portal, naming the two supervisors and stating the ZAMBEZI project in the proposed title. A cover letter of no more than two pages replaces the research proposal. The deadline for funding applications is 1 December 2026; shortlisted candidates are interviewed online. Reference JD51582 should be quoted.