Paleontologist (Ref. REVEAL/SER03/PALAEO/25)

Farah Social Foundation (FSF) is a Lebanese NGO founded in 1988, committed to International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law, and fully abides by their provisions. Its mission is to contribute to the social and economic development of communities, with a focus on the most disadvantaged, working to eradicate poverty and empower individuals to participate in the development of themselves and their communities.

FSF is a partner of Università dell’Insubria, an Italian university in Varese, which signed a contract with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) for the implementation of the project REVEAL AID 012993/01/0, CUP J13C25000170001: Ricerca e Valorizzazione del patrimonio paesaggistico e archeologico dell’Alto Shouf come risorsa per la tutela e lo sviluppo del territorio. FSF has received funding from Università dell’Insubria for this project, which is located in Maasser el Shouf.

As part of this partnership, FSF is hiring a Palaeontologist to support the professional staff at an archaeological site currently undergoing excavation and scientific study. The selected candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary team leading the implementation of the 30-month REVEAL project, an initiative of Università dell’Insubria in partnership with Istituto Oikos, Istituto di Scienze per il Patrimonio Culturale – Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (ISPC-CNR), Al Shouf Cedar Society (ACS), Lebanese University – Faculty of Sciences II, Department of Life and Earth Sciences, and Association Paléontologique et Évolutive Libanaise (APEL). The project aims to promote multidisciplinary scientific research at the archaeological site, strengthen the capacities of local experts, and encourage a participatory approach by the local community for the protection of the archaeological and broader cultural heritage of the area.

 Qualifications:

• Advanced academic background in Palaeontology, Archaeozoology, or related fields.
• Experience in taphonomic, palaeoenvironmental, or fossil-record analysis.
• Experience in archaeological or multidisciplinary research teams.
• Ability to distinguish natural from anthropogenic accumulations.
• Skills in cataloguing, documentation, and preparation of palaeoenvironmental reports.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills.
• Very good command of English.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Analyze taphonomic processes (accumulation, burial, alteration, fossilization) of animal and plant remains.
• Distinguish between natural and anthropogenic deposits (e.g., butchering, combustion, ritual, predation).
• Collaborate with archaeologists, geologists, and conservators to reconstruct past ecosystems and depositional contexts.
• Assess preservation states and post-depositional processes affecting fossils.
• Reconstruct local ecosystems and analyze environmental variations over time.
• Compare findings with regional palaeoclimatic data to situate the site within a broader palaeogeographic framework.
• Catalogue fossil specimens and manage related databases.
• Work with conservators on physio-chemical stabilization of specimens.
• Prepare specialist palaeoenvironmental reports and contribute to integrated site documentation.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary publications with team members.
• Participate in field training programs for students and local technicians.
• Ensure compliance with FSF ethical codes, PSEA, and project standards.