Post-doctoral Fellowship in Aegean Middle Bronze Age lithics

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced lithics expert for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAE PAS) in Warsaw.

The successful candidate will work under the “Minyans and Trojans in the Middle Bronze Age” project (MITAMBA), funded by the National Science Centre (Poland), and coordinated by Dr Christopher Hale.

MITAMBA examines Middle Bronze Age connectivity between central Greece, northern Greece, and the northeastern Aegean through different networks of production, consumption, and distribution. An interdisciplinary team will identify regionalisms, communities of practice, and patterns of interaction within a range of material culture to reveal new insights into an understudied region which has often only been considered in relation to the southern Aegean.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct comparative research on lithic assemblages of the Middle Bronze Age Aegean, with a focus on central Greece, northern Greece, and/or the northeastern Aegean basin.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences or workshops.
• Contribute to the development of MITAMBA’s research design and methodology.
• Compare results and collaborate with the MITAMBA team and their datasets.
• Participate in fieldwork, as needed.
• Contribute to the project's outreach activities, such as public lectures.

You will have freedom to direct your own research emphasis within MITAMBA’s scope, but would be expected to examine a range of networks or regionalisms represented within lithic tools from the target regions. Possible avenues of emphasis include (but are not limited to) provenance investigations of exploited raw materials, identifying imports, mapping the distribution of tool types and materials, investigations of production practice, comparative use-wear analysis, or experimental archaeology.

Requirements:

• A PhD in archaeology obtained within the last seven years. Applicants who are finishing their PhDs are eligible, as long as they obtain the degree no later than by the start of the fellowship.
• Experience in the study of Aegean Bronze Age lithics, preferably proven by publications.
• A publication record concerning the Aegean Bronze Age.
• Expertise in the macroscopic characterization, chemical or petrographic analysis, technology and use-wear analysis, and/or experimental archaeology related to lithics.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills in English.

Preferred:

• Already secured access to relevant assemblages will be a significant advantage.
• Knowledge of network analysis as it relates to archaeology.
• Demonstrated experience with archaeological fieldwork in Greece.

What we offer:

• Two years of full-time employment with a monthly salary of ca. 9,770 PLN gross (ca. 2,285 EUR before tax, according to current exchange rates).
• A flexible start date within 2025-mid 2026.
• National Health Insurance for the duration of the employment.
• A work space in Warsaw, including your own desk, laptop, and monitor.
• Funds to conduct fieldwork, sampling, analysis, research trips, participation in conferences, and payment of open-access fees.
• Access to equipment such as a stereo microscope and a petrographic microscope. IAE PAS also houses a state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope, and can facilitate access to a pXRF.
• Support for permit applications to the relevant Ephoria of Antiquities and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture to handle material and conduct analyses under the auspices of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens.
• Support in applying for grants from Polish, European Union, and international sources for future projects.
• A stimulating research environment with a growing number of Warsaw-based Aegean Bronze Age specialists. In addition, the IAE PAS is home to renowned international lithic experts on siliceous rocks and flint mining from the Central European Paleolithic and Bronze Age, including an extensive study collection.

To Apply:

Send your CV, a cover letter, the names of two references, and a writing sample to Dr Christopher Hale (c.hale@iaepan.edu.pl).

The cover letter should describe your research interests and experience, and explain why you are a good fit for MITAMBA.

The writing sample should be a publication or other piece of relevant scholarly work that you have authored or co-authored.

The deadline for applications is June 14^th 2025.