PhD Student
Warszawa, Polska
Wichtige Merkmale des Angebots
Unabhängige Position – mittleres Niveau
Vollzeit
Description
The Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw announces the opening of a competition for one PhD student position funded by the NCN SONATA BIS-15 grant “Networks of the Dead. Mortuary practices, social interactions, and the making of collective identities in Early and Middle Bronze Age Crete” (2025/58/E/HS3/00295; PI: Dr Sylviane Dederix). We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral student to pursue research on the topic of seals from funerary contexts in Prepalatial and Protopalatial Crete. Position in the project PhD Student Department Department of Aegean and Textile Archaeology Scientific discipline Archaeology
What we offer
Doctoral scholarship
Remuneration/stipend amount per month
4 346 PLN gross prior to the mid-term evaluation and 5 500,50 PLN gross after the mid-term evaluation
Position starts on 1 November 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter
Maximum period of contract/stipend agreement
48 months
Institution Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw
Project leader Sylviane Dederix (sylviane.dederix@gmail.com)
Project title Networks of the dead. Mortuary practices, social interactions, and the making of collective identities in Early and Middle Bronze Age
Crete
NCN programme SONATA BIS-15
Project Description NetworksOfTheDead harnesses the rich mortuary record of
Prepalatial and Protopalatial Crete (3100-1700 BC) to reconstruct social networks before, during, and after the construction of the First
Minoan Palaces. The project leverages the potential of Social
Network Analysis to infer interactions among burial communities based on data drawn from existing literature, hands-on reference collections, and ongoing archaeological projects. Three complementary types of evidence are investigated: remains of mortuary activity, material culture (seals, pottery, petrographic data), and burial site locations. By integrating these three types of evidence,
NetworksOfTheDead aims to reconstruct multi-layered networks of intercommunity interaction and explore how collective identities were negotiated across multiple scales, so as to shed light on the dynamics that drove social change.
Key responsibilities include
Contribution to bibliographic review, the development of the project website, the conceptualisation of the project database, and the data management plan.
Hands-on study of casts in the archives of the Corpus der
Minoischen und Mykenischen Siegel (CMS) in Heidelberg
(Germany).
Recording of seal variables in the project’s database.
Definition of seal classes relevant for identifying inter-community interaction and reconstruction of seal-based material culture networks.
Contribution to the integration, comparison, and interpretation of networks reconstructed from different types of archaeological evidence.
Communication and dissemination of results through conference presentations and publications.
Contribution to the project’s final monograph.
Profile of candidates/requirements
The competition is open to applicants who meet the conditions specified in the regulations on the allocation of resources for the implementation of tasks financed by the National Science Centre under the SONATA BIS-15 grant.
MA in archaeology (or a related discipline). The MA degree should be obtained prior to the start of employment on the project.
Confirmed status as a PhD student (no later than the start date of employment on the project). The successful candidate is expected to be already enrolled in, or to enrol in, the Doctoral School of the
University of Warsaw.
Excellent academic record.
Experience or interest in seal studies.
Experience or interest in Aegean archaeology.
Experience or interest in digital archaeology.
Willingness to work in an interdisciplinary and international team.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Availability to undertake (funded) research trips to the CMS in
Heidelberg, Germany.
Basic database skills.
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Basic reading skills in German.
Knowledge of other languages (e.g., Greek, Polish, German,
Italian, French) will be considered an asset.
Doctoral scholarship awarded for the entire four-year period of study at the Doctoral School.
Additional funds for research trips and participation in conferences.
Training in digital archaeology and, more specifically, network analysis.
An equipped office space in the Faculty of Archaeology at the
A stimulating and welcoming work environment with a growing number of specialists, support in career development, and opportunities to be involved in international and interdisciplinary research networks.
Please submit the application to sylviane.dederix@gmail.com
Recruitment process
NetworksOfTheDead.
Curriculum vitae.
Two letters of recommendation.
Copy of MA degree (or, if the MA degree has not been obtained yet, a certificate/document confirming the date of MA defence).
Document confirming PhD student status at the University of
Warsaw (to be provided before starting work on the project).
https://tiny.pl/pdngjwq07.
Before applying, candidates are obliged to familiarise themselves with Internal Reporting Procedure.
Selected candidates will be invited for an interview (held online between 17-21 August 2026).
Date of announcement of the results
24 August 2026
Method of notification about the results
Email
Słowa kluczowe
Bronze Age Crete
Seals
Digital Archaeology
Stichwörter / Fähigkeiten