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 pottery from funerary contexts in Prepalatial and Protopalatial Crete.
Position in the project: PhD Student
Department: Department of Aegean and Textile Archaeology
Scientific discipline: Archaeology
Keywords: Bronze Age Crete; Pottery; Digital Archaeology
Job type (employment contract/stipend): 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.
- Recording of pottery variables in the project’s database.
- Definition of pottery classes relevant for identifying intercommunity interaction and reconstruction of pottery-based material culture networks.
- Participation in the four-week annual study campaigns of the project “Minoan funerary practices at Malia” (Crete, Greece; French School at Athens; PI S. Dederix).
- 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 in pottery studies (ideally in Prepalatial and/or Protopalatial Crete).
- 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 Crete.
- Basic database skills.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Knowledge of other languages (e.g., Greek, Polish, German, Italian, French) will be considered an asset.
Required documents
- Cover letter describing your relevant experience, research interests, and why you believe you are a good fit for 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).
- Signed information on personal data processing: https://tiny.pl/pdngjwq07.Before applying, candidates are obliged to familiarise themselves with Internal Reporting Procedure.
We offer
- 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 University of Warsaw.
- 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
Application deadline 10 August 2026
Selected candidates will be invited for an interview (held online between 17-21 August 2026).
Date of announcement of the results: 24 August 2026