Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum

Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum is Professor for Languages and History of the Ancient Near East at Freie Universität Berlin's Department of History and Cultural Studies, where she has held the Chair since 2003. She serves as co-speaker of both the DFG Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities 2615 "Rethinking Oriental Despotism" and the Einstein Centre "Chronoi." Previously, she was a Senior Research Associate at the Hermann von Helmholtz Centre for Cultural Techniques at Humboldt Universität Berlin (2001-2003) and Directeur d'Études invitée at École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université la Sorbonne (2001/2002).

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Assyriology / Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen (1994)
• Habilitation in Assyriology / Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Freie Universität Berlin (2002)
• M.A. in Assyriology and Classical Archaeology, Eberhard Karls-Universität Tübingen (1987-1990)
• Studies at Tübingen, Rome and Berlin (1984-1989)

Cancik-Kirschbaum's research focuses on the languages and history of Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations including Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia, with particular expertise in cuneiform texts from the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE. Her work examines economic, social and political history of Ancient Mesopotamia, perception of time in early societies, history of cultural techniques, and the tradition and transformation of Ancient Near Eastern civilizations. She has made significant contributions to understanding administrative practices, governance structures, and knowledge systems in ancient Mesopotamia.

Her extensive publication record reveals consistent scholarly engagement with Mesopotamian writing systems, administrative documentation, temporal organization, and political structures. Recent work shows increasing focus on epistemic infrastructures, knowledge transfer across cultures, and the materiality of textual practices in ancient societies. Her scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary approaches combining philology, archaeology, and theoretical frameworks from knowledge history.

Among her notable recognitions:

• Member of the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (2013)
• Professeur Invitée at the Collège de France (2019/2020 and 2003/04)
• Senior Fellow, Martin Buber Society, Hebrew University Jerusalem (2013-2014)
• Award for Excellent Supervision from Dahlem Research School (2012)
• Corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute (2010)
• Ordinary Member, Academy of Europe (2019)

As an educator and mentor, she has received recognition for her supervision, including the Award for Excellent Supervision from Dahlem Research School. Her leadership extends to major collaborative research initiatives including the DFG Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities 2615 and the Einstein Centre Chronoi. Her work bridges traditional Assyriological methods with contemporary theoretical approaches to knowledge production and cultural transmission.

She actively participates in interdisciplinary research teams focused on ancient knowledge systems, water management in historical contexts, and textile production technologies. Her current projects emphasize the intersection of material culture, writing practices, and political organization in the ancient Near East, particularly through her co-leadership of research groups examining "Oriental Despotism" and temporal frameworks in historical contexts.