Dr. Maria Elena Balza

Institut für Altorientalistik (FU)

Maria Elena Balza received her PhD in ‘History and Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean’ in 2007 (Pavia University). In 2006, she attended the Collegio Cedant (Centro Studi e Ricerche sui Diritti antichi, Pavia), an advanced master’s study in Cuneiform Law. In 2008, she obtained a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Freie Universität of Berlin in the framework of the ‘Excellence Cluster Topoi – The Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilizations’ (www.topoi.org). Since October 2010, she has undertaken a second PhD Program in ‘Semiotics and History of Writings’ at the University of Limoges.

RESEARCH FIELDS

M.E. Balza deals with Hittite history, especially the imperial period; with the existing relations between Anatolia and Syria during the Late Bronze Age; and with the study of Anatolian hieroglyphs. She is an expert in Syro-hittite glyptic and sealing practice. She also collaborates on the computerization of the seals bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions coming from Anatolia (peripheral areas) and Syria as a member of a major project which aims at the computerization of Anatolian glyptic with hieroglyphic inscriptions (Universities of Pavia, Würzburg and Suor Orsola Benincasa of Napoli).
 

General Information

Group

Post-doctoral Fellow

01.04.2008 - 31.03.2010
 

Research Field

Research Topics

 

Contact

Organisation / Department

Freie Universität Berlin
Fachbereich Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften
Institut für Altorientalistik

Address

Hüttenweg 7
14195 Berlin
Deutschland

Email

 

Projects

research project


 

Activities

talk

""And I built this Everlasting Peak for him". The two Scribal Traditions of the Hittites and the Location of the NA4hekur SAG.UŠ"
part of the Workshop Archival, Scribal, and Administrative Spaces among the Hittites

workshop


 

Curriculum Vitae

Since 2010 PhD Student in ‘History and Semiotics of Writings’ at the University of Limoges (Supervisor: Prof. I. Klock-Fontanille). Dissertation topic: ‘A World of Signs and Figures. Monuments, Reliefs, Hieroglyphic and Alphabetic Inscriptions in Anatolia between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC’.
2008 Postdoctoral fellowship (1st April 2008 – 31st March 2010), ‘Excellence Cluster Topoi – The Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilizations’ (www.topoi.org), Freie Universität Berlin. Project Title: ‘Archival Space in the Hittite World’.
2007 PhD in ‘History and Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean’ co-supervised by Prof. C. Mora (University of Pavia) and Prof. O. Rouault (Université Lumière Lyon II). Dissertation topic: ‘Some Aspects of the Emar Society during the Last Phase of Hittite Empire. Sale Transactions, Seals, Authentication Procedures’.
2006 Advanced Master in Cuneiform Law at the ‘Collegio Cedant’ (Center of Study and Research on Ancient Law), Pavia.
2003 MA in Humanities at the University of Pavia. Graduation thesis in History of the Ancient Near East.

ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENTS AND OTHER FELLOWSHIPS

2010 Doctoral Fellowship (Bourse Régionale de Thèse, 1st October 2010 – 30th September 2013), University of Limoges.
2009 Tuition within the course held by Prof. P. Matthiae (University of Rome “La Sapienza”) at the Institute for Advanced Study (IUSS), Pavia (Humanities Division).
2008 per project contract within the project “Dass soll dir unter Eid gelegt sein”. Königliche Normen und Normensetzungsverfahren für hethitische Eliten, University of Konstanz.
2006-2008 Seminars held within the course of ‘Hittitology’ and ‘History of the Ancient Near East’ (Prof. C. Mora), Faculty of Humanities, Department for Ancient Studies, University of Pavia.
2006  Fellowship granted by the IUSS (Institute for Advanced Studies), Pavia, for the participation to the Advanced Master in Cuneiform Law (‘Collegio Cedant 2006’), 10th – 31st January 2006, Pavia.
2005 ‘Introduction to ancient near eastern archaeology’, tutoring seminars (15 hours), Faculty of Humanities, Department for Ancient Studies, University of Pavia.
2004 Vinci fellowship granted by the Université Franco-Italienne and intended for PhD programs undertaken in co-supervision between France and Italy.
2003 Doctoral fellowship (1st November 2003 – 31st October 2006), University of Pavia.
2001 Erasmus fellowship (1st September 2001 – 31st May 2002) for a period of study at the University of Lyon II.