ResearchGroup

Description:
The ARQHISTEC research group aims to consolidate an interdisciplinary research group at the University of Lleida, formed by archaeologists and historians specialized in different historical periods (3rd millennium BC – 18th c. AD). His scientific activity is structured around the diachronic study of food economies -production, distribution, and consumption of food- and population dynamics - changes in settlement patterns and demography- in different contexts of the western Mediterranean before the Industrial Revolution. Likewise, one of its objectives is to make science and historical and archaeological heritage accessible to different agents and groups in the territory (especially the most forgotten). The ARQHISTEC group firmly believes that research must have a vocation for social transformation, encouraging debate on how science can contribute to creating the world and society that we want to leave to future generations.

ResearchLine

Description:
Agricultural practices, such as crop processing, storage and grinding, have played a key role in the evolution of human societies and in shaping the relationship between humans and their environment. Storage enables the preservation and accumulation of food, thereby reducing dependence on seasonal conditions and the seasonality of food while also providing greater socio-ecological resilience under environmental and climatic stress. In addition, the processing of cereals, and other foodstuffs, mainly carried out by women, is essential for the subsistence of human societies.

This PhD project proposes a comparative analysis of data on the storage and processing of cereals and other crops in three areas of Western Europe –Atlantic, Central Europe and Mediterranean– during the Bronze Age, throughout the second millennium BC, with the aim of characterising these agricultural and domestic practices and their relationship with the socio-economic systems.

Methodologically, this work will be based on these three main subjects:

(1) Archaeobotany: An archaeobotanical study of seeds and fruits remains from Bronze Age sites for the research on agriculture and plant processing.

(2) Archaeology of Plant processing implements: A study of prehistoric grinding tools to understand plant processing techniques.

(3) Archaeology of Storage: A study of storage methods and their connections with socioeconomic systems.

Firstly, archaeobotanical data on the various Bronze Age crops and their post-harvest processing will be synthesised, with a primary focus on cereals. Statistical analyses will be used to assess the relationships between cultivated plant grains, chaff and weeds at different sites, and to explore the possible techniques and locations for these activities.

Secondly, an analysis will be conducted on different types of food storage facilities, such as underground pits, above-ground granaries, and pottery vessels. Storage systems will be examined alongside socioeconomic analyses of shifts in storage practices, productivity, and surplus management. Indeed, the study of agricultural productivity and surplus in Prehistory, with the absence of written records or large centralized storage units in state organizations, has traditionally been a challenge for archaeology.

Thirdly, grinding and pounding tools, especially querns, will be examined from both typological and functional perspectives as a preliminary step before further analysis.

Finally, the PhD research will examine the relationship between querns and storage features, focusing on how their distribution may indicate domestic and production areas at different sites. Specifically, the aim is to determine whether grinding and food processing activities took place within storage areas, near hearths or in external spaces identified as residential or artisanal zones.

To achieve this, we will analyse the type of archaeological site (such as isolated settlements or silo clusters), storage structures, sedimentation patterns within these structures, and the presence of production tools. In addition, we will examine contextual information, including the location, positioning, and interrelationships of these elements. Understanding storage and grinding technologies is essential for identifying production spaces and domestic areas at the intra-site level.

On the other hand, although some publications touch on the topic, studies addressing gender roles in agriculture are not common in archaeological research. This lack of focus is surprising given that current anthropological and ethnographic studies underscore the key role of women in agriculture and animal husbandry. This PhD project will integrate a gender perspective in a cross-cutting manner in order to develop a deeper synchronic and diachronic understanding of gender structure within the social organisation of human communities. By adopting this approach, the project aims to enhance the visibility of women's work in rural landscapes, which may also have a direct impact on contemporary society.

CareerDevelopment

Objectives

• International mobility
• Building collaborative networks
• Trainings to enhance career opportunities
• Application of postdoctoral grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
• Application for projects and funding (Horizon Europe, national plans, etc.)
• Involvement in teaching, supervision, or mentoring

Expected Outputs

• PhD defense
• Application of grants (MSCA, Juan de la Cierva, etc.)
• Publication of articles
• Attendance to international conferences

Training Skills

• Project Management
• Time Management
• Grant Writing
• Communication to the civil society and public engagement
• Open Science
• Gender and diversity dimension of research
• Ethics and Research Integrity
• Intellectual Property
• Research Valorization
• Leadership
• Training for job interviews, CV writing
• Advanced Digital Skills