Alireza Shapour Shahbazi (Persian: علیرضا شاپور شهبازی; 4 September 1942 Shiraz - 15 July 2006 Walla Walla, Washington) 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, Sassanian 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 (Tomb of Hafez).
1968–71 Instructor in Near Eastern history, Shiraz University (Also classes held for EXPERIENCE: American guest students from Pennsylvania and Kent State Universities)
1973–74 Curator, Archaeological Museum, Tehran; lecturer in history and Near Eastern civilization, University of Tehran
1974–79 Founding director of the Archaeological Institute at Persepolis; lecturer in Near Eastern history, Asia Institute, Shiraz
1979–80 Visiting scholar, Columbia University
1980–83 Post-doctoral research in historiography, Göttingen University, Germany
1983–84 Lecturer in Iranian civilization, University Extension, Harvard University; associate of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University
1984–85 Lecturer in Persian, Columbia University; assistant editor Encyclopædia Iranica
1985– Associate professor (professor since 1990) of history, Eastern Oregon University
1990-2005 - Professor of history, Eastern Oregon University
1996- Consulting editor, The University Press of Iran
1998 Consulting editor, Journal of Archaeology and History
2002–2003 Associate editor Encyclopædia Iranica
2002- Consulting editor, The International Journal of Ancient Iranian Studies
1970 Book of the Year Prize (see Bibliography, #1)
INCLUDE 1980-83 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, West Germany