The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s top universities. It is committed to excellence in
research and teaching, interdisciplinary education and the active promotion of promising young scientists. The
university also forges strong links with companies and scientific institutions across the world. TUM was one of the
first universities in Germany to be named a University of Excellence. Moreover, TUM regularly ranks among the
best European universities in international rankings. – The TUM School of Life Sciences on the TUM Campus
Weihenstephan is specialised on the major geopolitical challenges of the 21st century, especially on pressing
issues of global change and food security.
The geoarchaeological joint project DORACLE – Development of River-, Agricultural-, and City Landscapes
on the European Lifeline Danube at Straubing/Sorviodurum offers the position of
1 Scientific Assistant or PhD student (E13 TV-L, 50-75%)
available from February 1st, 2022 or later as soon as possible and limited to 3 years.
The project investigates the paleoenvironment of the city of Straubing and its surrounding area with special regard to natural river course shifts and hydraulic engineering changes on the Danube and its tributaries, including the chronicle and damaging effects of extreme flood events. First hydraulic engineering measures are attested for the provincial Roman period, among others in the form of quays and piers, and are postulated for the preceding Celtic settlement phase at the same site. The reconstruction of the river landscape on the Danube around the turn of the Roman period is the first focus of the project. Outside the active river landscape, the development of the agricultural landscape since the beginning of agriculture about 7000 years ago via the immigration of the so-called Bandkeramiker are investigated as a second focus. Together with the history of the development of the Roman and medieval town of Straubing, a third focus is on the course diversion of the main discharge of the Danube in connection with the construction of the Sossauer Bschlacht in 1480. The fluvial geomorphodynamics and the paleo-river landscape before and after this measure are reconstructed. A fourth focus deals with the river engineering measures in the course of the establishment of steam navigation on the Danube up to the development to a federal waterway in the course of the RMD construction measures and relocation of the Straubing Danube port. This creates a link to the current socio-political discussion about climate change and flood protection on the Danube lifeline.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Scientific Assistant or PhD student works in the labs of Prof. Jörg Völkel at TUM´s Campus of Life Sciences in
Freising-Weihenstephan (http://geomorphologie.wzw.tum.de/). The Scientific Assistant or PhD student will be
responsible for geoarchaeological investigations on paleosols, sediments, and peet bogs as well as anthropogenic excavation findings within the Old Settlement Area (Altsiedelgebiet) along the Danube River between Regensburg and Straubing with a focus on the cultural landscape development within and around the city of Straubing in close collaboration with the other subproject. This includes physicochemical analysis on sediment and soil samples, prospection of the shallow subsurface and geomorphological analysis.
For more Information please see here: TUM GeoBoku Job Advertisement Geoarchaeology