Stuart Tyson Smith

Professor Stuart Tyson Smith is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he also serves as Director of the Institute for Social, Behavioral & Economic Research (ISBER). His academic career combines roles in research, administration, and teaching. He holds a PhD from UCLA and an MS Ed. from USC.

Smith’s research focuses on ancient Egyptian and Nubian civilizations, with emphasis on ethnicity, colonialism, and cultural entanglement. He leads the Tombos Archaeological Project in Sudan, exploring Egyptian colonial strategies and Nubian state formation. His work integrates archaeological, historical, and anthropological methods, including ceramic analysis and residue studies.

Key contributions include books like Wretched Kush (2003), analyzing ethnic boundaries in Egypt’s Nubian empire, and Valley of the Kings (2003), aimed at young readers. His fieldwork spans decades, including excavations at Askut, Abu Fatma, and the Fourth Cataract regions. Smith has been funded by major grants from NSF, National Geographic, and the Schiff-Giorgini Foundation.

He is a sought-after speaker, delivering lectures at institutions like Harvard, the British Museum, and Cairo’s IFAO. His Hollywood consultancy for films like Stargate and The Mummy

Smith’s affiliations include the Center for Middle East Studies, African Studies RFG, and the Religious Studies Department. Courses taught span introductory archaeology to specialized topics like ancient Egyptian religion and ceramic analysis.