The project “Trust and Accountability in Hittite Bureaucratic Networks,” funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GA ČR) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), invites applications for a 3-year postdoctoral position at the Oriental Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague.
The project aims at shedding light on the administrative practices at Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite kingdom, through the interdisciplinary analysis of sealing practices, personnel mobility and bureaucratic organisation during the 16th-13th centuries BCE. It entails the investigation of ca 4000 clay sealings primarily from the Nişantepe archive, combining archaeological and historical inquiry with cutting-edge geochemical provenance studies (p-XRF), RTI and network analysis. The successful candidate will contribute to the research carried out within work packages WP3-5, as illustrated below (see The project in brief).
Your profile
- Ph.D. degree obtained before July 1st, 2026 and within the past eight years
- Demonstrable experience in researching sealing practices, preferably in the eastern Mediterranean or western Asia
- Proficiency in Digital Humanities
- Interest in learning and applying methods such as network analysis, statistical analysis, RTI, and photogrammetry
- A publication portfolio demonstrating active research in the field, appropriate to the candidate’s career stage
- Willingness to reside in Prague for the full duration of the position (3 years)
The project in brief (shortened version)
The Trust and Accountability project focuses on three main objectives: (1) identifying the geographic origin of clay sealings to map the administrative reach of the Hittite state; (2) reconstructing sealing practices (production, use, and archiving); and (3) analyzing the administrative institutions and personnel involved, placing these practices within the broader development of Hittite bureaucracy. The aim is to move beyond description toward a systemic understanding of administrative networks and their material basis.
Methodologically, the project combines archaeometry, archaeology, and historical analysis across five work packages (WP):
WP1: Provenance analysis of sealings using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), supplemented by pLIBS and petrography. Building on the Locating Tarhuntassa (LoTar) pilot, this work (Austrian branch, Vienna) expands the dataset through systematic sampling in central Anatolia and analysis of ~3,400 sealings from the Westbau archive at Hattusa.
WP2: Integration of new and legacy datasets through advanced analysis, including AI-based classification, to identify compositional patterns and distinguish local vs. non-local materials.
WP3: Combination of provenance data with morphological and functional analyses (Czech branch), using autoptic study and high-resolution imaging (e.g., RTI) to reconstruct how sealings were made, used, and stored.
WP4: Study of the social dimension by identifying seal owners and mapping their roles and relationships. By integrating cuneiform texts with archaeological and geochemical data, the project reconstructs administrative networks using network analysis and GIS.
WP5: Final synthesis integrating all data to model Hittite administrative practices, revealing patterns such as shared workspaces, official mobility, and team organization.
The project brings together an international, interdisciplinary team and will produce peer-reviewed publications, open-access datasets, and a final workshop, ensuring both scholarly impact and accessibility.
Employment conditions
- Salary: approximately EUR 1,600 per month
- Full-time employment contract
- Duration of contract: 3 years
- Starting date: between 1 July and 1 September 2026
Why join the Oriental Institute
- Work-life balance: Five weeks of paid annual leave, three personal days, flexible working hours, and the possibility of remote work
- Family-friendly workplace: Access to childcare facilities at the Czech Academy of Sciences, events for children, etc.
- Project management support: An in-house grants office providing assistance with grant applications and project administration
- Language courses: Support for continuous learning, including access to a range of language courses
- HR Award: Commitment to a high-quality research environment and continuous improvement of the employee experience
- Career development: Support in developing skills and experience aligned with individual career paths
- Individual learning: Tailored support to help colleagues grow in areas most relevant to their professional development
- Onboarding support: Our Welcome Office supports new team members during their first months
- Hybernská 8: From 2027, the Institute will be based in the centre of Prague in a new interdisciplinary research hub for the humanities and social sciences
The Oriental Institute is committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable research environment. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and believe that diversity of perspectives is essential to academic excellence.
Interested? That’s great — we’d love to get to know you better. To apply, please send us:
- Your CV including a list of publications
- A two-page cover letter
- Contact details for 2 referees. Reference letters will be requested for shortlisted candidates.
Please send all materials to our HR Manager, Adéla Rossi, at rossi@orient.cas.cz.
The call is open until 15 May 2026. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held online in late May, and the successful candidate will be informed shortly after. Informal inquiries are welcome.