Connected Communities in early Medieval Europe: A diachronic pan-European analytical perspective of bead networks

**Connected Communities in early Medieval Europe: A diachronic pan-European analytical perspective of bead networks** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *(ref. BAP-2026-649)* *Laatst aangepast: 06/11/26* KU Leuven is a leading European research university located in Leuven, Belgium, consistently ranked among the top universities worldwide. With a rich history dating back to 1425, KU Leuven is renowned for its high-quality education, cutting-edge research, and international academic community. The laboratory of Archaeometry in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at KU Leuven is at the forefront of archaeological science research, offering state-of-the-art facilities and a collaborative environment for interdisciplinary exploration. Join us at KU Leuven to be part of a vibrant academic community dedicated to advancing knowledge and shaping the future of science. ##### **Project** The Connected Communities in early Medieval Europe project, granted under the ERC Synergy programme (GAP 101224625 ) aims to re-evaluate the traditional image that after the collapse of the Roman state in the West, a united and interconnected Europe disintegrated into a fragmented continent divided into a series of ethnic kingdoms. Burials of early medieval Europe, seem to tell a different tale. The staggering number of objects found in these, as well as the shared ways of caring for the dead show a highly connected world. This project offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research on archaeological materials analysis under the guidance of prof. Patrick Degryse. You will join an international research group working on different archaeological materials, using various analysis techniques. As this PhD fits into a large synergy project, the candidate will be meeting and learning from international partners working on beads, as well as other aspects of the project. . Project Description In this doctoral research project, the successful candidate will investigate potential connections between early medieval communities in Europe by analysing beads from different burial contexts and mapping their distribution over Europe. We will investigate how and why ideas, such as modes of care for the dead, came to be shared across Europe through the prism of beads. Origins and modes of circulation will be interrogated using typological and chemical analysis. The chemical composition of beads from selected cemeteries will be analysed by pXRF in partner institutions across Europe, and by μXRF, LA-ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS at the Earth and Environmental Science department of KU Leuven (Belgium). These chemical analyses will allow us to identify regions that accessed the same bead-sources and/or were connected by ‘bead-ideas’, and will also provide insights into how strings of beads were assembled, to understand exchange and connections. In particular, we want the