Research Fellow in North African Medieval History

About us

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is recognised as one of the leading academic departments of Archaeology and Heritage in the world. It is the largest department within its field in the UK. It offers a uniquely stimulating environment with more than 60 staff pursuing high-quality research across five continents. We are at the forefront of global archaeology, conservation and heritage studies and have well-equipped laboratory facilities for archaeological science.

Islamic archaeology and history is a dynamic field of research and teaching at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. We have a lively research community of academic staff, postdocs and PhD students working on the Islamic Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. The UCL Islamic Archaeology Network runs regular events including the annual Islamic Archaeology Day.

Visit www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology to find out more.

About the role

Applications are now being sought for a 1.0 FTE (36.5 hours per week) Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Archaeology within the ERC Synergy project ‘MEDGREENREV: Re-thinking the “Green Revolution” in the Medieval Western Mediterranean (6th-16th centuries).

MEDGREENREV (http://medgreenrev.com) is a multi-institutional collaboration led by the University of Reading, the University of York, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Granada in partnership with UCL, the University of Basel, the University of Valencia and University of Murcia. UCL is responsible for the case-study region of North Africa as well as comparative analysis of faunal and archaeobotanical data.

We are seeking a Research Fellow with excellent command of medieval Arabic and a background in medieval Islamic history to join the MEDGREENREV project team at the UCL Institute of Archaeology based in London.

About you

The successful candidate will have a PhD in medieval Islamic history, or related field, with demonstrable experience in the study of pre-modern Arabic written sources and enthusiasm to collaborate with archaeologists. This appointment may involve periods of research in relevant North African and European archives/libraries, as well as short visits to collaborator institutions in the UK, Europe and North Africa. There may also be opportunities to visit or participate in project excavations in North Africa. Applicants are, therefore, strongly advised to take into account their resilience and ability to conduct research overseas, when preparing their application. We particularly encourage candidates with a demonstrable interest in medieval agrarian economies, the environment or medieval North African history to apply.

The post is available from 1 October 2025 and is funded until 31 July 2028.

What we offer

Visit www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion

The closing date for applications is midnight on 29 July 2025.

Customer advert reference: B03-02518

Advert information