PhD Position - Prähistorie (m/w/d)

PhD Position
Dissertation topic: Tracing Administrative Practices through Clay: An Archaeometric Study of Hittite Sealings from Hattusa

The research project "TrAccHit: Trust and Accountability in Hittite Bureaucratic Networks", funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the Czech Science Foundation (GA CR), invites applications for a PhD student position at the Natural History Museum Vienna. The project, led by Michaela Schauer, Alvise Matessi (co-PIs), Mustafa G. Kibaroglu and Michele R. Massa (co-Is), 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. 

The doctoral project will focus on the archaeometric study and provenance analysis of Hittite clay sealings primarily from the Westbau-Nisantepe archive at Hattusa, contributing to integrate the results into the broader archaeological interpretation of Hittite administrative practices. 

The PhD candidate will be enrolled at the University of Vienna and affiliated with the Vienna Doctoral School of Historical and Cultural Studies, within the Archaeology and Material Culture Research Cluster. The thesis will be jointly supervised by Prof. Dr. Marta Luciani, Dr. Michaela Schauer, Dr. Alvise Matessi & Ph.D. Dr. rer.nat. Gubaz Kibaroglu.

The aim of the PhD project is to identify the origin of the Hittite sealings from the Westbau/Nisantepe archive at Hattusa through archaeometric analysis, and to use these results to advance the archaeological understanding of Hittite administrative networks and sealing practices, while also advancing pXRF methodology in archaeometry.

- Conduct archaeometric analysis, especially portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), of Hittite      clay sealings and compare the results with pottery and geological reference samples to identify production techniques and origin;

- Perform complementary analytical methods to aid the interpretation of pXRF results, such as thin-section petrography, portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (pLIBS), and digital microscopy;

- Develop calibration, evaluation, and integration methods for new and legacy pXRF datasets;

- Develop new statistical approaches to analyse and interpret complex archaeometric datasets;

- Collaborate in fieldwork, museum-based research, and the systematic processing and documentation of archaeometric data;

- Contribute to presentations and publications in an interdisciplinary research environment.

- Completed MA degree or equivalent in archaeometry, archaeology, geoarchaeology, geosciences, geology, materials science, or a related discipline. 

- Strong interest in archaeological science and the analysis of archaeological materials.

- Interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of archaeology, archaeometry, and geoscience.

- Good interpersonal skills  and the ability to work as part of an international interdisciplinary team.

- Good command of written and spoken English.

- Willingness to participate in fieldwork, museum-based research, and project-related travel.

- Willingness to reside in Vienna for the whole duration of the position (3 years).

- Experience with archaeometric methods is desirable, especially in the study of pottery, clays, or other mineral-based archaeological materials. 

- Familiarity with portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) or related analytical methods is an advantage. 

• A three-year PhD position within an innovative international research project. 
• Integration into an interdisciplinary research environment combining archaeology, archaeometry, geology, and historical analysis. 
• Training in advanced analytical methods and participation in collaborative research activities. 
• The opportunity to contribute to publications, conference presentations, and wider project outputs. 

Applications must include:

• letter of motivation 
• curriculum vitae
• 2 recommendation letters 
• any additional documents relevant to your academic qualifications 

If we have sparked your interest, we look forward to receiving your application by July 3rd, 2026

The position is funded according to the FWF personnel costs and salary rates for doctoral candidates with a duration of 36 months with 30 h/week. (https://www.fwf.ac.at/fileadmin/Website/Dokumente/Foerdern/6_Schritte/Weitere_Informationen/fwf_personalkostensaetze.pdf)

For further questions please contact Elke Lhotak, at personalabteilung@nhm.at