Research Opportunities
About/
Research Opportunities
We are currently looking for students to conduct research in the following areas.
Graduate
Lisa Janz is currently looking for students to conduct research in the following areas. Please contact Dr. Janz directly. Fluency in Mongolian, Chinese, or Russian will be considered an asset.
Zooarchaeology/Archaeozoology:
Broad spectrum foraging and dog domestication (Master’s)
Taphonomic study of faunal remains from Neolithic sites (e.g., butchery and cooking practices, site formation) (Master’s or PhD)
Tracking late megafaunal extinctions in Mongolia (Master’s or PhD)
Fish use in Mongolian habitation sites (Master’s)
Unique morphological identifiers for East Asian species (Master’s)
Geoarchaeology:
Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction around Palaeolithic to Bronze Age habitation sites (PhD or Postdoc)
On-site animal use and evidence of taming and domestication (PhD or Postdoc)
Site use and dwelling spaces in Neolithic villages (Master’s, PhD, or Postdoc)
Ancient DNA (PhD only, some experience in a DNA is lab required):
Domestication and spread of dogs in Northeast Asia
Human-cattle relationships in East Asia
Pleistocene-Holocene equids and human interaction
Palaeoethnobotany/Archaeobotany:
Hunter-Gatherer diets in the Neolithic (Master’s or PhD)
Palaeoenvironment and resource use from charcoal (Master’s)
Usewear:
Bead-making in the Gobi Desert (Late Neolithic and Bronze Age) (Master’s)
Textile Manufacturing in the Early Neolithic (Master’s or PhD) – some knowledge of and interest in spinning, weaving, and/or other textile manufacturing is required
Computational Modelling:
Mapping evidence of land-use, trade and the spread of pastoralism (Master’s or PhD)
Isotopes:
Evidence of human niche construction from multi-species and environmental proxies (PhD)
Holocene Diet and Ecology
Environmental study of Pleistocene/Holocene climate change using stable isotope analysis of Mongolian fauna (MA or PhD)
Usewear and microbotanical residue analysis of grinding stones from Mongolia (MA or PhD) Taphonomic study of faunal remains from Zaraa uul and/or Tamsagbulag (MA or PhD)
Zooarchaeological study of fauna from shell midden sites in Russian Far East (PhD)
Tamsagbulag
Soil micromorphology and lipid biomarkers to identify on-site animal use (PhD or Postdoc)
Documentary film making and/or virtual reality/video game development (MA or PhD)
Cattle Domestication? Bovine diet and mobility through isotopic analysis (PhD)
Cattle Domestication? Morphometric study of aurochs bone (MA or PhD)
Landscape Archaeology: mapping Neolithic, Manchurian, and Soviet site use at Tamsagbulag (PhD)
Bronze Age Gobi Desert
Usewear analysis of bead-making tools (MA)
Hunter-Gatherer or Herder? Mapping evidence for the spread of pastoralism (MA or PhD)
Undergraduate
Volunteer fieldwork positions are available to undergraduate students from all universities. Please contact us for an information sheet and application. Applications are due by May 30 of each year.
University of Toronto students can inquire with Lisa Janz about opportunities for honour’s thesis projects or laboratory assistantships.
Volunteer Fieldwork Positions or Research Assistance
We sometimes offer “volunteer” fieldwork positions to individuals who are interested in joining our team. Volunteers pay their own travel costs and pay a fee to help cover in-field expenses and offset the cost of participation for an under-funded student. Please contact us if you are interested.
