Agent-Based Modelling of Pleistocene Landscape Connectivity

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• Adapt the Coco & Iovita (2025) agent-based movement model to reconstruct prehistoric landscape connectivity across Europe.
• Build and process palaeoenvironmental and geospatial datasets (including digital elevation models, palaeocoastlines, river networks and glacier extents) for multiple Middle and Late Pleistocene time slices using GIS and R.
• Run computationally intensive agent-based simulations on Leiden University’s ALICE High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster and analyse predicted movement corridors and connectivity patterns.
• Compare predicted movement corridors and connectivity networks with archaeological datasets to evaluate the extent to which landscape structure alone explains observed patterns of prehistoric human dispersal.
• Produce reproducible datasets and code, and contribute to one scientific publication and one scientific presentation.
• Engage with the Faculty community through discussion meetings, journal clubs, and other events.

Where you will work The future of the past begins at Leiden University. The Faculty of Archaeology is internationally leading for its research, home to a broad array of specializations and notable for its strong connection between teaching and research. Home to over 500 students in the multidisciplinary world of Archaeology, the Faculty, and its researchers from all areas of the archaeological field, determine the future of archaeological research. More information about our university and our faculty can be found at: The successful candidate will join the Department of World Archaeology. They will be supervised by Prof. dr. M.A. Soressi and by Dr. E. Coco, Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB) at the University of Algarve in Faro, Portugal. They will work as a post-doctoral researcher for 0,7 to 1 fte (26,6 to 38 hours per week), maximaal 6 months, depending on the number of fte’s. Working arrangements The position can be carried out remotely. The postdoctoral researcher will work independently while maintaining regular contact with the project team through scheduled online meetings. Progress will be monitored through agreed milestones and deliverables to ensure timely completion of the project. Expected deliverables:

• Reproducible European palaeogeographic datasets for multiple Pleistocene time slices.
• Connectivity maps identifying emergent movement corridors, bottlenecks and barriers.
• Comparison of predicted corridors with archaeological site distributions.
• Reproducible R code and documentation.

• Draft manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal., To help us get to know each other better, we follow a number of steps in the application procedure. For more information, see Please attach the following additional documents, stating the job number above:

• Motivation letter, including your relevant interest and experience in the subject matter and a brief work plan outlining how you would structure the project, including the datasets you would prioritise, the modelling workflow, and the milestones you would aim to achieve during the appointment (max. 2.5 pages).
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications
• The names and addresses of two potential referees (no actual recommendation letters required at this stage).

Selected candidates will initially be invited for an online interview.

• We believe mobility is very important. That is why we are also publishing this vacancy internally. In case of equal suitability, we will give priority to the internal candidate.

• Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated. If you nevertheless choose to send us CVs, no rights can be derived from this. #LI-Hybrid, When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Required Cookies These cookies are required to use this website and can’t be turned off. Required Cookies Show More Details Required Cookies Provider Description Enabled SAP as service provider We use the following session cookies, which are all required to enable the website to function:

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We are looking for someone who can work independently while collaborating effectively with the project team. Given the short duration of the appointment, you should be able to quickly familiarise yourself with the project objectives and work towards clearly defined milestones. This position is a good fit for you if you recognise yourself in the following:

• PhD degree completed by the time of appointment in Archaeology, Geography, Geosciences, Ecology, Computer Science, or a related discipline;
• Experience with GIS, spatial analysis, and processing large raster and vector geospatial datasets.
• Programming experience in R (preferred), or Python or another language suitable for spatial analysis and simulation.
• Experience with agent-based modelling or spatial simulation is an advantage;
• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and deliver project milestones within a short-term appointment;
• Excellent written and spoken English and strong communication skills.

Our goal is to work together to create a transparent and inclusive work environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated. Our organisation is always evolving and we need your ideas for improvement and innovation to take us further. We want to devote attention to your personal development. You can count on an enjoyable job within the socially relevant world research. The University’s challenging and international work environment is located just steps away from Leiden’s lively city centre. We also want to work with you to devote attention to your health and vitality, for example with the fun activities we organise through Healthy University.

• The selected candidate will be appointed for up to a maximum of 6 months depending on the start date and the number of FTE. The project needs to be completed by July 2027;
• A salary of a minimum of €4422 and a maximum of €5760 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours) (scale 10 for post-doctoral researcher);
• A holiday allowance (8%), an end-of-year bonus (8,3%), and an attractive pension scheme at ABP;
• For a 38-hour week you have 232 vacation hours per year. If you work part-time, your vacation credit is proportional to your contracted hours;
• Lots of options when it comes to secondary employment conditions; we can, for example, discuss options for a sabbatical or paid parental leave. Within our terms of employment individual choices model, you can exchange leave days and/or salary for benefits such as an advantageous sports subscription or bicycle scheme, and we also offer child-care options;
• If your work allows it, hybrid working is possible within the Netherlands;
• A home-working allowance (day and internet allowance) and attention for good workplaces. The University will also provide you with a laptop.