Postdoctorat sur la peste

Post-doctoral Contract

Call for applications

AVIGNON
UNIVERSITE


As a part of the PEPR Debs-Plague Project, Avignon University is offering a two-year postdoctoral
contract, associated with CIHAM-UMR 5648 (Lyon-Avignon) and PACEA-UMR
5199 (Bordeaux).

Start Date: October 1, 2024
Contract Duration: 24 months
Type of Contract: Fixed-term post-doctoral contract
Salary and Material Conditions: Approximate salary of €3,298 gross per month. Travel
expenses for archival research will be covered by the project. A computer will be provided.
 

Research Context/Position Profile
This contract is a part of the PEPR MIE (Priority Research Programs and Equipment, Emerging
Infectious Diseases), DEBS-Plague, led by Florent Sebbane (Research Director, Institut
Pasteur de Lille, INSERM, CNRS, University of Lille) and funded by the ANR.
The aim is to understand the dynamics of plague spread in late-medieval and early-modem
France and to identify French ecosystems that were potentially favourable or unfavourable to
its thriving there. The project will be based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining
historical, archaeological, biological, mathematical, and engineering sciences, and relying on
an international team of researchers. By deciphering the environmental, biological, and societal
factors governing the risk of plague re-emergence in France, the project's goal is to limit or
even prevent possible plague outbreaks.

The leaders of the archaeological and historical investigation team of the DEBS-Plague project
(Dominique Castex, Research Director, CNRS; Marilyn Nicoud, Professor, Avignon
University; Philip Slavin, Professor, University of Stirling) aim to reconstruct the geography
of each plague wave that spread in France between the second half of the 14th century and the
early 17th century, to shed light on the socio-economic, demographic, geographical, and
environmental contexts facilitating their spread, and consequently, to understand if there were
inland areas where animal reservoirs existed and potentially still exist.

Position Duties
Using various archival sources and secondary works, J.-N. Biraben was the first to propose
reconstructing the stages of the spread of medieval and modem plague epidemics and the
different waves that affected the European continent. These data have been partially digitized
for the second plague pandemic (Biintgen et al. 2012). However, recent ongoing work
highlights the shortcomings of this initial survey, and these data will need to be revised and
updated.

Furthermore, there is archaeological data, based on a census of sites related to medieval plague
epidemics in France and elsewhere in Europe, available to corroborate a spatial analysis, based
on mapped textual data.

The post-doctoral researcher's work will consist of conducting research in various archival
repositories, to contribute to building up and expanding a database in-progress that
geographically and chronologically identifies and lists different plague outbreaks France,
approximately between 1360 and 1500. This chronological field is intended to ensure a solid
basis without having to confront an excessively large set of writings. Various types of sources
will be identified, consulted and analysed (notarial archives, deliberation registers, municipal
by-laws, chronicles, etc.)

The recruited individual will develop a GIS-based cartographic toolkit to manage and process
geographical data and to help create a map of affected sites. This work will be put into
perspective with data from archaeological excavations, whether from sites where plague aDNA
has been found or from sites affected by epidemics of unknown nature.
The post-doctoral researcher will participate in the research group's work meetings, scientific
events, and the publication of collaborative studies. S/he will need to be available for video
conferencing one day per month for coordination meetings.
 

Qualifications and Skills:

Degree:
• A candidate must hold a PhD in Medieval History at the time of application submission,
having obtained the degree within the past 5 years as of the application submission date.
Required Skills:
• A candidate must be fluent in French and proficient in Old French.
• Must have an excellent knowledge of Latin.
• Must have a good knowledge of late medieval palaeography.
• Must have an excellent knowledge of English (spoken and reading) for building
bibliography and database, and for communication within an international group.
• Must be willing to travel to work in local archives in France.
• Must have an ability to work independently and in a group.
• Must be willing to undergo a training and acquire advanced skills in current spatial
analysis tools ( e.g., GIS).
 

Application Process:

The application should include:
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae with academic background and a list of any publications.
• A cover letter specifying past and present research and experiences, and explaining how
the applicant plans to integrate these into this research and the DEBS-Plague project
more broadly.
 

Applications should be sent by July 8, 2024, to the following addresses:
• Dominique Castex: Dominique.Castex@u-bordeaux.fr
• Marilyn Nicoud: marilyn.nicoud@univ-avignon.fr
• Philip Slavin: philip.slavin@stir.ac.uk
 

Applications will undergo an initial selection process, followed by a Zoom interview with
shortlisted candidates.
 

Preliminary bibliography
Biraben, J.-N., Les hommes et la peste en France et dans Jes pays europeens et
mediterraneens, 2 t., Paris-La Haye, 1975-1976
Buntgen, U., Ginzler, C., Esper, J., Tegel, W., et McMichael, A. J., « Digitizing Historical
Plague», Clinical Infectious Diseases, 55-11 (2012), p. 1586-1588.
http:/ /www.jstor.org/stable/ 41721875
Krauer, F., Schmid, B.V., « Mapping the Plague through Natural Language Processing»,
Epidemics, 41 (2022), 10065, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2022.100656
Lazzari, G., Colavizza, G., Bortoluzzi, F. et al.,« A Digital Reconstruction of the 1630-1631
Large Plague Outbreak in Venice», Scientific Reports, 10 (2020), 17849.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74775-6
Roosen J, Curtis D.R.,« Dangers of Noncritical Use of Historical Plague Data», Emerg.
Infect. Dis., 24-1 (2018), p. 103-110
doi: 10.3201/eid2401.170477. PMCID: PMC5749453.
Slavin, P., «Out of the West: Formation of a Permanent Plague Reservoir in South-Central
Germany (1349-1356) and its Implications», Past and Present 252 (2021), 3-51