Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum

Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum is a Professor at the Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. She serves as co-speaker for the DFG Center for Advanced Study 2615 'Rethinking Oriental Despotism' and the Einstein Center Chronoi. Her research spans Assyriology, cuneiform philology, and the intersection of writing systems with political and epistemic frameworks in the Ancient Near East.

Research Interests: Her work examines Mesopotamian knowledge transmission, administrative practices, and the materiality of writing. She investigates how cuneiform lists, legal texts, and royal inscriptions encode governance strategies and epistemic structures. Recent projects focus on water management, urban geography, and the socio-political role of writing in early states.

Publications: Her articles and edited volumes explore Middle Assyrian administrative systems, epistemological dynamics in cuneiform cultures, and cross-cultural knowledge practices. Collaborative efforts include studies on landscape archaeology, textile revolutions, and the temporal dimensions of statecraft.