PhD in geosciences (M/F) - Understanding the alteration of anthropized rock surfaces and the visibility of parietal paintings
3 Apr 2026
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
Nantes Université- Department
LPG UMR-CNRS 6112- Research Field
Geosciences- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Positions
PhD Positions- Application Deadline
6 May 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris)- Country
France- Type of Contract
Temporary- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
1 Oct 2026- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by a EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
Despite the thousands of years that separate us from their creation, the paintings, drawings, and engravings produced in caves and rock shelters have endured over time, undergoing varying degrees of degradation. Depending on the environment and the conditions affecting rock surfaces, certain markings become invisible and “gaps” appear within compositions, hindering their study and interpretation.
These issues are particularly significant for sites featuring schematic parietal paintings, mainly documented along the northern Mediterranean arc and possibly extending into Eastern Europe. These are primarily rock shelters (around 150 sites currently recorded), attributed to the Neolithic period, though still very imprecisely due to the frequent absence of archaeological context and the lack of direct dating.
Ongoing studies within the ANR SCHEMA project, led by C. Defrasne, have highlighted:
(i) the value of interdisciplinary and multiscale analysis of rock surfaces, enabling the mapping of various natural and anthropogenic processes;
(ii) the contribution of mineralogical characterization of materials (pictorial and others) to the understanding of rock surfaces.
The use of hyperspectral imaging, which is non-invasive and non-destructive, is central to current methodological developments. It makes it possible not only to reveal paintings invisible to the naked eye, but also—by combining spectroscopy and imaging—to access the mineralogical nature and spatial distribution of rock surface components. Its contribution to the mapping of rock surfaces is therefore essential.
Despite these advances, understanding of the alteration processes affecting these surfaces remains partial, particularly regarding the nature of concretions, films, and deposits, as well as their spatial distribution and correlation with variations in geomorphological, petrological, climatic, hydrological (runoff, infiltration, condensation), and microbiological parameters.
The proposed research therefore aims to investigate the alteration processes affecting rock surfaces at different scales, particularly in limestone environments (the predominant context for painted sites). The use of hyperspectral imaging combined with photogrammetry will make it possible to determine their mineralogy and spatial distribution. Within an integrative approach to rock surfaces, these data will be related to geological, geomorphological, and physico-chemical analyses in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the processes affecting both the surfaces and the ancient markings.
This research will thus contribute to the development of morphogenetic mapping of rock surfaces, synthesizing all processes that have affected them, regardless of their nature, while also drawing upon these data. Such mapping also underpins the understanding of the relative chronology of rock surfaces, from their formation to the most recent, near-contemporary events.
These issues are particularly significant for sites with schematic parietal paintings, mainly documented along the northern Mediterranean arc and likely extending as far as Eastern Europe. These are primarily rock shelters (around 150 sites currently recorded), attributed to the Neolithic period, though still very imprecisely due to the frequent lack of archaeological context and the absence of direct dating.
Understanding what governs the preservation of these graphic productions, as well as what conditions their disappearance, is essential for reconstructing their spatial organization on the rock surface and for revealing possible syntactic structures indicative of a form of visual writing. Characterizing these alteration processes and identifying the key parameters that control them is therefore necessary in order to (i) situate graphic acts within the temporal framework of the rock surface and thereby contextualize their production; (ii) assist in the physico-chemical characterization of pictorial materials by isolating their signal and potentially identifying the techniques employed.
Where to apply
- Website
- https://amethis.doctorat.org/amethis-client/prd/consulter/offre/3348
Requirements
- Research Field
- Geosciences
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
We are seeking an excellent, highly motivated candidate holding a Master’s degree in geology or geoscience, with a background in mineralogy. The position will require a range of methodological skills, including field instrumentation, hyperspectral imaging, laboratory analytical measurements, and data processing. As access to the study sites may sometimes be challenging and remote, good physical fitness is recommended. A strong interest in archaeology and in interdisciplinary collaboration is highly desirable. The candidate should demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and ease in communication, both written and oral, in French and English.
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Good
Additional Information
Benefits
The research will be conducted between the Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences (LPG, UMR 6112) in Nantes and the Environnement, Dynamique et Territoire de Montagne laboratory (EDYTEM, UMR 5204). The PhD candidate will be integrated into the research team of the ANR SCHEMA project, which brings together researchers, research engineers, and doctoral students from various laboratories and disciplinary backgrounds (IPAG, LaMPEA, LAPCOS, MONARIS, LPG).
Availability of technical resources:
LPG/OSUNA: Hyperspectral platform, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, geochemistry platform
IMN: X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM)
ESRF Synchrotron: high-resolution diffraction
Selection process
Candidates will have to submit the following documents:
- Detailed and updated CV
- Cover letter
- Transcripts of the grades and rankings of the Master’s degree or engineering degree (for semesters for which grades are available)
- Letter of appreciation from the direct supervisor of the Master’s research internship (mandatory for the 2nd year of the Master's degree, if applicable for the 1st year)
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- LPG UMR-CNRS 6112
- Country
- France
- City
- NANTES
- Postal Code
- 44100
- Street
- 2 Rue de la Houssinière
- Geofield
Contact
- State/Province
Draft- City
NANTES- Website
http://WWW.UNIV-NANTES.FR- Street
1 QUAI DE TOURVILLE, BP 13522, 44035 NANTES CEDEX 01- Postal Code
44100
stephane.mazzotti@univ-nantes.fr
anne.gaudin@univ-nantes.fr
STATUS: EXPIRED
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