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Title Postdoctoral Fellow in Byzantine Coins at Dumbarton Oaks/Harvard University

School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area Dumbarton Oaks

Position Description

Dumbarton Oaks invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Byzantine Coins to work with the museum team on projects relating to cataloguing, publication, and exhibition of the coin collection. The successful candidate will receive training in digital cataloguing, collections management, exhibition planning. They will catalogue the newly acquired Mansfield and Shaw collections of early Byzantine coins, describing, recording, and publishing these coins in the Online Coin Catalogue. They will also work with the Registrar to accession and house the coins and help with the re-photographing of the collection. Building on the work of nomisma.org, the Postdoctoral Fellow will be involved in the establishment of a federated database to catalogue and digitize Byzantine coin holdings in various collections worldwide. In partnership with the Curator and the Manager of Exhibitions, they will help to create temporary exhibits of the coin collection and take part in the planning and execution of educational activities. The fellowship offers unique opportunities to build career skills in digital humanities, museum curation, and collections-based education. The Fellow will participate fully in Dumbarton Oaks’ dynamic community of scholars and programming in Byzantine Studies and may devote 20% of the fellowship appointment to personal research.

Major Responsibilities

• Work with representatives of the Numismatic Collection of the Firestone Library Collections, Princeton University and nomisma.org to establish and implement a linked-open data platform for Byzantine coins.

• Aid in the accessioning, housing, and cataloguing of the newly acquired Mansfield and Shaw collections of early Byzantine coins.

• Expand the Dumbarton Oaks Online Coin Catalogue.

• Help with the process of re-photographing the collection.

• Take part in educational activities involving the coin collection.

This is a one-year fellowship appointment, with the possibility of renewal for two additional years. Applicants must have fulfilled all the requirements for the PhD by the time of application. The Postdoctoral Fellow would report to the Curator of Coins and Seals.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will have access to the outstanding resources of the institute and become part of the larger research community at Dumbarton Oaks. The Fellowship carries a stipend of $67,600 per year with an additional $1,000 annual, taxable research allowance. The Post-Doctoral Fellow will be eligible for medical insurance through the Dumbarton Oaks Fellows’ plan and will be provided with an office space, access to the library and museum collections, and complimentary weekday lunches, among other privileges of our community of fellows.

The health of our community is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up to date on CDC -recommended vaccines.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in History, Art History, or Archaeology with a specialization in Byzantine Studies.

• Excellent research skills, particularly in the areas of numismatic cataloguing.

  Additional Qualifications

• Experience in a museum, special collection, or comparable environment.

• Strong computer skills including using relational databases and collection management software.

  Special Instructions

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, a brief research proposal, and two to three references’ names and contact information. Applications must be received by January 15, 2025.

For more information, please visit the Dumbarton Oaks website or reach out to FellowshipPrograms@doaks.org.

Please note: This position is contingent upon funding and satisfactory performance.

Contact Information

Jonathan Shea

Curator of Coins and Seals

Courtney Randolph

Manager of Academic Programs

1703 32nd St NW

Washington, DC 20007

Contact Email FellowshipPrograms@doaks.org

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Minimum Number of References Required 2

Maximum Number of References Allowed 3

Keywords

Coins, Byzantium, Byzantine Studies, museums

Supplemental Questions