Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is a research university rich in tradition. Inspired by curiosity about the unknown, we enable around 25,000 students and 5,800 employees to advance science for society. Join us in breaking new ground and writing success stories – your own and those of our university.
Support us from 01.05.2026 in part-time (75 %) as a
Doctoral student (m/f/d) in the field of Geomorphology / Geoarchaeology and Luminescence Dating
The position is part of the externally funded project “The irrigated meadows of the Wiesent River catchment (Northern Franconian Alb) in its historical depth. A blueprint for agrarian-dominated floodplain systems” as part of the DFG Priority Program (SPP 2361/2) “Fluvial Anthroposphere” and is to be filled on a fixed-term basis in accordance with § 2 WissZeitVG and § 72 HessHG with the opportunity for own academic qualification at the Chair of Physical Geography, Department of Geography at the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Geography. The salary is in accordance with the collective labour agreement of the State of Hessen (E 13 TV-H).
As long as the maximum permissible duration of a fixed-term contract is not exceeded, you will be employed for
a period of 3 years.
The project
The project is based on the hypothesis that irrigated meadows in the Wiesent river catchment (Northern Franconian Alb / Germany) have had a significant influence on fluvial floodplain dynamics and floodplain ecology since the Middle Ages. Previous studies show that Holocene sedimentation dynamics changed dramatically with the introduction of agriculture in the Neolithic period, with the Middle Ages emerging as a phase of particular dynamism. The aim of the project is to investigate the extent to which the introduction of water meadows is responsible for the change in medieval fluvial dynamics. In addition to extensive fieldwork and sedimentological and pedological analyses, the focus is on high-resolution sediment dating using innovative luminescence dating techniques. The work is being carried out in close cooperation with the Historical Geography and Archaeology at the University of Bamberg, as well as other partners from physical geography and soil science.
For more information click here.