About the Project
This project will explore the sociopolitical and economic dimensions of coinage in the borderlands of Scotland and England from the 12th to the 17th centuries. It departs from traditional museuological numismatic research by seeking to return coins to their original landscape, material and social contexts. The successful student will be expected to develop and employ a range of innovative methodologies to help facilitate the examination of inter and intra-regional distinctions in coinage production and usage, according to settlement type, political and economic centres, and communication routes. We expect relational databases and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to be two of the essential technical methodologies employed to answer the research questions identified for the studentship.
Taking coinage as the key body of material evidence, the student will investigate the political, economic, and sociocultural relationships that developed in the borders during this key period of intense nation-building, which was characterised not only by conflict, but also by ongoing cross-border contact and exchange. The project’s outputs will add significant value to English and Scottish numismatic research, and its innovative methodology will highlight new contexts within which coin data can be analysed.
The project will be guided by a number of key research questions, including:
● What are the characteristic medieval and post-medieval coin deposition patterns of the border counties of Scotland and England, and how do they compare to national patterns?
● What role did rural and urban settlements play in trade and exchange in the borderlands?
● How did religious institutions in the borders affect the use and exchange of coinage?
● To what extent was the monetary relationship between Scotland and England influenced by political, economic and cultural trajectories?
● How can theories of border cultures be used to explain the social dimension of coinage and its role in constructing personal, ethnic, regional and national identities?
This is an opportunity to pursue an original doctoral research project with the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, which is renowned for its research in artefactual, medieval, and historical archaeology. The student will also work closely with National Museums Scotland, a centre of expertise for Scottish material culture and home to an internationally significant Scottish numismatic collection, which will be a key dataset for the project. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop a highly transferable set of archaeological and museological skills and gain professional experience working in a modern museum environment. The student will have direct involvement in new directions and projects at NMS, as this research will help inform the potential for reinterpretation and redisplay of numismatic collections in the proposed redevelopment of the museum’s ‘Scotland’ galleries, as well as curate their own digital exhibition. The successful student will also be expected to work closely with the Treasure Trove Unit at National Museums Scotland, helping to identify and record chance finds, and further opportunities will be available for the student to be involved with Treasure Trove Unit and NMS public engagement and knowledge transfer events.
As part of the Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium and the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership UK Consortium, the student will have access to a wide range of training courses, workshops and seminars, including attendance at CPD events and specialist conferences. The current year timetable is available here: http://www.ahrc-cdp.org/training-and-cohort-development. The Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium also provides additional events and forums for students to share their experiences and concerns. Where identified as essential to the project, the student will also have access to specific in-house cultural heritage related skills development at National Museums Scotland. This may be delivered via existing in-house training provision or close mentoring by teams within National Museums Scotland, and may include support from educators, web teams, exhibition designers, interpretation staff and curators/librarians. As an AHRC-funded student at the University of York, the successful candidate will also have full access to the benefits of the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (http://wrocah.ac.uk/), a consortium in partnership with the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield. The student will be eligible to engage with wider WRoCAH initiatives, including invitations to all whole-cohort events, priority for any WRoCAH training, and the opportunity to apply for funding for research awards, research support grants, training mobility, and student-led fora.
Eligibility:
Applicants should have a good undergraduate degree and a Master’s qualification in a relevant discipline. A good working knowledge of numismatics is essential, from either an archaeological or museuological background.
Due to restrictions on the funding, this studentship is only open to candidates from the UK/EU.
How to apply:
Applicants should apply through the University of York’s online application system: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/apply/. Please submit with the application a CV, an academic writing sample, a personal statement detailing previous research and any practical experience in support of your application, and the contact details of two academic referees. A research proposal is not necessary as this is a pre-defined project.
Applications must be submitted by midnight GMT on Monday 30 April 2018, with a view to interviews being held at National Museums Scotland during the week of 15-19 May 2018.
For enquires, please email Dr A McClain
[Email Address Removed]
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