Postdoc i Assyriologi: Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia

The research project From Catastrophe to Culture: Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for a 26-month full time postdoctoral position designed for a specialist in Assyriology, to be filled on June 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. Application deadline: February 28, 2026.

Introduction
The postdoctoral researcher will be part of the project From Catastrophe to Culture: Understanding Epidemics in Ancient Mesopotamia, which is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (September 2025 – August 2028). The project will provide the first holistic study of epidemics in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria), drawing on cuneiform texts and archaeological evidence from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BCE. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the project will focus on case-studies to map the frequency, transmission, and societal responses to epidemic events from ancient Mesopotamia. The overall goal of the project is to establish a renewed timeline of Mesopotamian epidemics focusing on four research questions, namely: (1) How regularly did epidemic events occur during the first 3000 years of human written history? (2) How did epidemic diseases emerge and spread? (3) How did ancient societies react and respond to these calamities? And (4) what effects did such disasters have on the societies and cultures which survived them? The postdoc will work closely together with a postdoc specialized in ancient Near Eastern archaeology and other project collaborators as part of a research team under the leadership of the PI, Associate Professor Troels Pank Arbøll.

The postdoc will work in the interdisciplinary Ancient Culture Studies section (Assyriology, Middle Eastern Archaeology, Egyptology, and Native American Languages and Cultures) at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen. Our section is characterized by a pleasant and inclusive work environment with daily lunches as well as regular seminars and social gatherings.

Duties and responsibilities
We seek someone with strong expertise in Assyriology and documented experience of working with Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform sources from the 3rd–1st millennium BCE, including philological analysis, text interpretation, and contextualization.

The postdoctoral researcher will identify, analyze, and interpret cuneiform evidence relating to epidemic disease and societal responses to reconstruct epidemic events in ancient Mesopotamia and integrate the philological evidence into the project’s database. This includes systematically extracting, contextualizing, and critically assessing data from letters, administrative documents, as well as ritual, medical, and scholarly texts that reference sickness, mortality, contagion, and epidemiological crisis in order to contribute to the construction of the project’s epidemic timeline. Furthermore, the postdoc will examine textual evidence for human-animal interactions leading up to sickness, contribute relevant textual data to contextualize estimates of population numbers, and assist in reconstructing family structures and human-animal proximity in the context of epidemic terminology and societal responses to outbreaks, including socio-political and ritual reactions. The postdoc will analyze relevant genres of cuneiform texts, with particular attention to terminology, historical context, and patterns of epidemic affliction. The position includes responsibility for contributing and structuring text-based data to the project’s database. The postdoc and the other team members will collectively, and through their individual research, respond to the project’s research questions as well as contribute to the overall goals of the project by supplying data to the database and co-publish with other members of the research team.

The postdoc is expected to be present at the place of employment and actively participate in weekly project meetings. There will also be online activities with collaborators and our advisory board, as well as possibilities to co-organize seminars, workshops, or conferences. The postdoc must be willing and able to participate in regular research and outreach activities where we engage in cross-disciplinary discussions and co-authored publications. Applicants should also be aware that postdocs at the UCPH are expected to work full-time and will be asked to spend up to 20% of their working hours on teaching or supervision within the department’s curriculum or perform other relevant tasks. The department can offer postdocs who teach up to 20% of their working hours, to participate in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education program (without hourly compensation).

Qualification requirements
The successful applicant will have completed a PhD in Assyriology no later than 4 years from the date of application (i.e., a PhD age of maximum 4 years in total, not including official leave and similarly). Furthermore, the candidate should have significant knowledge of cuneiform studies and advanced competences in Akkadian and/or Sumerian, including the ability to work independently with cuneiform tablets from photos and/or the original, in copy, transliteration, and translation and to conduct rigorous philological and historical analyses. In addition, the candidate should have experience of working with databases, and experience with publishing research and presenting research at conferences and seminars. An interest in Near Eastern Archaeology, and/or ancient medicine and epidemics would be welcome. We expect the successful applicant to be highly motivated and team-oriented.

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2013: https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/job-structure-for-academic-staff-at-universities-2013.pdf

For further information about the position, please contact the PI Troels Pank Arbøll, e-mail: tpa@hum.ku.dk.

Application
Submit the application online in Adobe PDF or Word format.

Please click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this page.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter (max 2 page).
• Research statement (max 1 page) with an outline of the applicant’s planned research strategy and practical approach to the project, including how they would prioritize types of sources (e.g. textual corpora, genres, or periods), how they intend to sequence their work (e.g. period-based, driven by case studies, or thematic) and how their expertise would be applied to advance the project’s overarching objectives.
• Curriculum vitae (with applicant’s email and telephone number).
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• Complete and numbered list of publications subdivided into peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavors, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and English can be expected to be assessed.

Appointment procedure
After the application deadline, the Head of Department selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the appointment committee. All applicants are notified whether their application has been accepted for assessment. The Dean subsequently appoints an expert assessment committee tasked with carrying out an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. Based upon the assessments, a selection of qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Please be advised that a positive assessment does not necessarily mean that one will be invited for an interview.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR South and City Campuses (HR), e-mail: HR-SOENDRE@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number 211-2460/26-2I #2.

Salary and conditions of employment

Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at DKK 39,237.41 per month, (EUR 5,250) + an 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) have further agreed on a protocol that makes it possible for international researchers employed by the University to achieve a pension exemption, whereby the pension contribution will be paid out as salary. For more information about the different pension schemes, please read more here: https://ism.ku.dk/salary-tax-pension/pension/

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH here: http://ism.ku.dk, http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm and https://www.workindenmark.dk/

UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

Applicants must submit the application electronically no later than 28 February 2026 at 23:59 (11:59 pm) [CET].

Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organization – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.