Deaths on July 15

Alireza Shapour Shahbazi, Iranian archaeologist and academic (b. 1942)

Alireza Shapour Shahbazi (4 September 1942 Shiraz - 15 July 2006 Walla Walla, Washington) (Persian: علیرضا شاپور شهبازی) was a prominent Persian archaeologist, Iranologist and a world expert on Achaemenid archaeology. Shahbazi got a BA degree in and an MA degree in East Asian archaeology from SOAS. Shahbazi had a doctorate degree in Achaemenid archaeology from University of London. Alireza Shapour Shahbazi was a lecturer in Achaemenid archaeology and Iranology at Harvard University. He was also a full professor of archaeology at Shiraz University and founded at Persepolis the Institute of Achaemenid Research in 1974. After the Islamic revolution, he moved to the US, firstly teaching at Columbia University and then later becoming a full professor of history in Eastern Oregon University.While employed at Columbia, Shahbazi became involved with the formation of the Encyclopædia Iranica. Shahbazi, who also served as visiting associate editor until 2003, would also author 76 articles of varying topics covering the Achaemenids, Arsacids, and Sasanian periods of Iran.Shahbazi wrote numerous classic books and articles on archaeology (Achaemenid, Sassanid and Islamic) in English, German, French, and the Persian language He died on 15 July 2006 after a long battle with cancer. He was transferred to Shiraz and buried in the memorials surrounding the Tomb of Hafez.