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Steven Sidebotham

Professor
University of Delaware
230 John Munroe Hall
Newark, DE 19716
 

Biography

Steven Sidebotham is professor of ancient history and archaeology at the University of Delaware, where he teaches courses on the ancient Near East and Greece, ancient Rome, ancient Greek and Roman sports and recreation, ancient religions and a seminar on World War II through oral history. Fluent in Egyptian colloquial Arabic, Professor Sidebotham attended university in Egypt, Greece and the United States and received his PhD at the University of Michigan in 1981. He has excavated or undertaken archaeological survey work in Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Israel and India and, since 1972 (and up to 2020), has participated in or directed 66 field projects (both on land and underwater).

Professor Sidebotham's main research interest is ancient trade and cultural exchange between the Mediterranean Basin/Near East on the one hand and the Red Sea-Indian Ocean littorals on the other. He has written, coauthored and co-edited sixteen books with his most recent one on his primary area of research being Steven E. Sidebotham, Jennifer Gates-Foster and Jean-Louis Rivard, eds., contributors, The Archaeological Survey of the Desert Roads between Berenike and the Nile Valley: Expeditions by the University of Michigan and the University of Delaware to the Eastern Desert of Egypt, 1987-2015 (American Schools of Oriental Research-Archaeological Reports 26) (Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research, 2019). In addition he has authored or co-authored 167 articles, book chapters, encyclopedia/dictionary entries and entries for the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World (Princeton, 2000). Nearing completion is a volume on the results of  another desert road survey: S.E. Sidebotham, R.E. Zitterkopf, J.A. Harrell, R.S Tomber and B. Cannon, Survey of the Via Nova Hadriana in Egypt's Eastern Desert (with Archaeopress).

He has delivered 77 academic conference papers in 23 countries (in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia) and 181 popular lectures in 10 countries and aboard cruise ships in the Black Sea, the Aegean, central Mediterranean and Red Seas.

His current projects include archaeological excavations at Berenike, an ancient port on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, and small scale excavations and surveys in Egypt's Eastern Desert. A Discovery/Science Channel television documentary entitled When Rome Ruled Egypt, which first aired in 2008, highlights his archaeological discoveries in Egypt. Professor Sidebotham is a well-recognized speaker and has lectured on cruise ships, at museums, universities and conferences throughout the world.

Prof. Sidebotham and his wife Mary Sidebotham also have an abiding interest in World War II. Since June 6, 2004 they have conducted (as of June 2021) over 400 oral interviews of veterans (both American and others) who served in that conflict in all theaters of operation; they have included women as well as men in their oral interview project. Sidebotham's first foray into publishing about the conflict resulted in J.J. Hurt and S.E. Sidebotham (eds.), Odyssey of a Bombardier: The POW Log of Richard M. Mason (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press/Rowman & Littlefield, 2014 hardback/2016 paperback).

Publications

Books and monographs

Analytical books (authored/co-authored, co-edited)

S.E. Sidebotham, Roman Economic Policy in the Erythra Thalassa 30 B.C.-A.D. 217 (Mnemosyne supplement no. 91) (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1986).

S.E. Sidebotham, A.M. Hense and H.M. Nouwens, The Red Land. The Illustrated Archaeology of Egypt's Eastern Desert (Cairo-New York: American University in Cairo Press, 2008); e-book edition published 2008.

S.E. Sidebotham, Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route (Berkeley-Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2011); paperback edition published 2019.

J.-P. Brun, T. Faucher, B. Redon and S. Sidebotham, eds., The Eastern Desert of Egypt during the Greco-Roman Period: Archaeological Reports (Paris OpenEdition Books: 14 September 2018 Serie: Institut des civilisations Electronic ISBN: 9782722604889).

Steven E. Sidebotham, Jennifer Gates-Foster and Jean-Louis Rivard, eds., contributors, The Archaeological Survey of the Desert Roads between Berenike and the Nile Valley: Expeditions by the University of Michigan and the University of Delaware to the Eastern Desert of Egypt, 1987-2015 (American Schools of Oriental Research-Archaeological Reports 26) (Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research, 2019). 

Volumes containing archaeological field reports

With J.P. Oleson, et al., The Harbours of Caesarea Maritima: Results of the Caesarea Ancient Harbour Excavation Project, 1980-1985 Vol. II: The Finds and the Ship in J.P. Oleson, ed., Tempus Reparatum, British Archaeological Reports international series 594 (Center for Maritime Studies, University of Haifa Publication No. 5) (Oxford: Tempus Reparatum, 1994).

S.E. Sidebotham and W.Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1994. Preliminary Report of the 1994 Excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea Coast) and the Survey of the Eastern Desert (Leiden: Centre of Non-Western Studies, 1995).

With V. Begley, et al., The Ancient Port of Arikamedu: New Excavations and Researches 1989-1992 Volume One (Mémoires Archéologiques 22) (Pondicherry, India: École française d'Extrême-Orient, 1996).

S.E. Sidebotham and W.Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1995. Preliminary Report of the 1995 Excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea Coast) and the Survey of the Eastern Desert (Leiden: Centre of Non-Western Studies, 1996).

S.E. Sidebotham and W.Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1996. Report of the 1996 Excavations at Berenike (Egyptian Red Sea Coast) and the Survey of the Eastern Desert (Leiden: Centre of Non-Western Studies, 1998).

S.E. Sidebotham and W.Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1997. Report of the 1997 Excavations at Berenike and the Survey of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, including Excavations at Shenshef (Leiden: Centre of Non-Western Studies, 1999).
S.E. Sidebotham and W.Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1998. Report of the 1998 Excavations at Berenike and the Survey of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, including Excavations in Wadi Kalalat (Leiden: Centre of Non-Western Studies, 2000).

S.E. Sidebotham and W. Z. Wendrich, eds., contributors, Berenike 1999/2000. Report on the Excavations at Berenike, Including Excavations in Wadi Kalalat and Siket, and the Survey of the Mons Smaragdus Region (Los Angeles, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, 2007).

S.E. Sidebotham and I. Zych, eds., contributors, Berenike 2008-2009. Report on the Excavations at Berenike, including a survey in the Eastern Desert (Warsaw: Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, 2011).

S.E. Sidebotham and I. Zych, eds., contributors, Berenike 2010–2011. Report on Two Seasons of Excavations at Berenike, Including Survey in the Eastern Desert and Reports on Earlier Work [Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology Excavation Series 4] (Warsaw: Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, Warsaw): forthcoming.​

Book about a World War II veteran

​J.J. Hurt and S.E. Sidebotham, eds., Odyssey of a Bombardier: The POW Log of Richard M. Mason, hard back edition (Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press/Rowman & Littlefield, 2014); paperback edition: 2016.

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