INASIA_ERC

Two more weeks for sending the applications in one of the vacancies in the ERC funded INASIA project.

Check who we are looking for and join the team:
inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...

We're looking for researchers to join the INASIA project.

If you're an archaeologist specializing in Stone Age research adept in advanced digital, geospatial, and analytical methods, you may want to join us as ERC-POSTDOC-FIELD: www.euraxess.pl/jobs/383000

ERC Post-doc ARCHEO We are looking for a postdoc to join the research team of the INASIA project led by Małgorzata Kot, PhD and funded by European Research Council (ERC).

For anyone interested in applying, here's the link with all the necessary information: www.euraxess.pl/jobs/382759

4-year postdoc position in INASIA ERC project for a lithic specialist who would like to join our Central Asian research group at @UniWarszawski
with her/his expertise in lithic technology studies. Application deadline 30.11.2025. Find out more here:
inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...

ERC-Postdoc-ECO
We're looking for a detail-oriented researcher specializing in geochemical and biochemical analyses of sediments and artefacts.
Check this and other open positions in the INASIA project at: inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...
And join us for an info session: forms.gle/s6WxXdnZKUxr...

One position for a PhD student open in the ERC INASIA project.

If you're an early-career archaeologist who'd like to specialize in lithic raw material studies in Central Asia, this job may be right for you!
Check the details: euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/382457

ERC Postdoc FIELDWORK is another vacancy in the INASIA project. Learn more about the position and apply here:
inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...

If you're thinking of applying join us for an online info session on the 14th of November 2025
Register: forms.gle/gPgfWJ1A1SXw...

INASIA ERC hiring - information session Register to the webinar presenting the opportunities for joining the team of the INASIA project. The webinar will take place on 14th November 2025, at 14:00 CET During the webinar, the Principal Inve...

Join us for a webinar on 14th November discussing research opportunities within the INASIA project:
forms.gle/Yje3d7571hU9...

Are you an archeologist with experience in surface or excavation research at Middle Palaeolithic sites?
This position may be for you:

ERC Postdoc ARCHEO
- one of our vacancies in the INASIA project.

Learn about the role and join our team starting March 1st 2026!
inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...

We are hiring!
Five open positions for researchers in the INASIA project. We are looking for 4 postdocs and a doctoral candidate to join our team starting March 2026.
Check out the details at: inasia.uw.edu.pl/we-are-hirin...
We'll be holding an info session soon, stay tuned and spread the word!

On 7th & 8th October INASIA project team members met for two intensive days at Warsaw University to strategize and plan project's activities following the feedback from the 1st excavation season.
Meet the team: inasia.uw.edu.pl/team/

As part of the INASIA project an iterdisciplinary laboratory for archeological analyses will be set up in Tashkent. Read more about this huge endeavor in the account from the project inauguration featuring the official signing of the lab agreement: inasia.uw.edu.pl/setting-up-a...
fot. Miron Bogacki

Check out the photo summary of the August 2025 expedition to Uzbekistan by the ERC INASIA team:
1) inasia.uw.edu.pl/start-of-the...
2) inasia.uw.edu.pl/darvazalik-c...
3) inasia.uw.edu.pl/most-remote-...
4) inasia.uw.edu.pl/uzbekhydroge...
5) inasia.uw.edu.pl/darvazalik-c...

Learn more about the INASIA project on its website: inasia.uw.edu.pl

There:
- a list of palaeolithic sites in Central Asia,
- project publications,
- communication & dissemination activities,
- bios of the project team,
- all project related news in the form of blog entries.

To get to Pleistocene layers,we always need to go through the Holocene ones. Would be a pity not to use such an opportunity. Within the project we also study the Holocene traces of human occupation in Central Asia caves.

#Archaeology #ERC #HumanHistory #CentralAsia #CaveArchaeology #Fieldwork

To find new sites we use three approaches.
One of them is searching through published speleological and archaeological reports. It’s not an easy task to geolocalize caves based on very general descriptions. It can be a lot of fun though.

Another approach to discover new cave sites is analyzing social media, blogs, vlogs, and photo galleries shared by local hikers. These often feature undocumented caves. If we can geolocate the photo — sometimes a challenge — we pack our gear and investigate on site.
#ERC_research #ERC #HorizonEurope

And here the day comes one needs to close the trench. Let's hope we find the spot intact the next season.

Kiik Kamar- we will definitely keep on coming back here!

#erc #horizoneurope #universityofwarsaw #uniwersytetwarszawski #archeology

When you uncover new archaeological horizons with bones, combustion structures and MP blades the only thing you can do is… dance!

#ERCResearch #HorizonEU #ERC #Archaeology #Uzbekistan #HumanHistory #InterdisciplinaryResearch #Fieldwork

The crucial element in cave archaeology is wet sieving and flotation of sediments. Check our story of each and every bucket of sediment excavated in the cave. Down the rope, on the donkeys, then by a UAZ car, through the sieves up to the lab for sorting.

video by @hermano
music by RoyaltyFreeMusic

We’ve conducted a raw material survey walking along riverbeds and searching for suitable knapping raw material. Guess what can happen when the only available raw material is quarzite? And all the surriounding rocks are made of quarzite and granite. Analyses of these will be a great challenge.

#erc

Visited Sipantash - one of Uzbekistan’s rare painted rock art sites. ~800 stencils, geometrics, animals, solar signs under stunning stone formations. Once sacred: rituals, sacrifices, even a fertility slide for pregnant women. Ancient magic meets wild geology. What a place!

Each bag of sediment gets an inventory no. and is slid down a rope. Two donkeys carry bags further to the UAZ car. The car brings them to the wet-sieving and flotation station.

This is the very first fieldwork in UZBK with a complete wet sieving of excavated sediments - c. 50-100 bags of 10-12/day.

INASIA_ERC project led by
@malgorzatakot.bsky.social

June 2025 expedition - The Kiik Kamar cave excavations in Uzbekistan

videos by @hermano
music by FreeGroove via Pixabay
#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

The Kiik Kamar (Uzbekistan) excavations

#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

We've started the excavations.
The topmost layers consist of thick fumier. We're openning bigger suface in order to avoid contamination of recent charcoals in Pleistocene sediments.

#ERC #archeology #research #HorizonEurope

This season we excavate Kiik Kamar Cava in south-eastern Uzbekistan.
It is circa 100sqm single chamber cave with a big triangular entrance heading west.

photos by @hermano

#erc #ExcellentScience #HorizonEurope #ArcheologicalResearch

Fieldwork - Day 3
Basecamp

Due to unbelievable hospitality of Uzbek people in Kashkadarya our team had the oportunity to set up a basecamp in a nice private garden. A little bit more work and the basecamp with a mobile lab is ready.

video by @hermano
#expedition #ERC #archeology #excavations

Me walking our donkey friend, who we called Appa, to transport sediment bags downhill. I miss him already, such a sweet donkey!

Somehow, Sebastian, the documentary maker who joined us, managed to take a very nice photo of me looking happy. Or maybe it's just that excavating makes me this happy all the time?

For the last couple of weeks, I've had the honor to join an excavation in Uzbekistan with @malgorzatakot.bsky.social through her @inasia-erc.bsky.social project. Two weeks full of joy. So many wonderful adventures, friendships and memories for life gained!

To find new sites we use three approaches:
1. We interview local people.
Shepherds, beekeepers, hunters, forest officers.
They know the mountains better than anyone else and their hospitability and kindness towards our research team is absolutely remarkable.

#erc #horizoneurope #archeology