Andrew M. Smith II is an Associate Professor of History and Classics in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at The George Washington University. He specializes in the history and archaeology of the Nabataean, Palmyrene, Roman, and Byzantine Near East. His research focuses on tribalism, urbanism, and the ancient economy, and he is the author of many articles and monographs. His book, Roman Palmyra: Identity, Community, and State Formation, was published in 2014 by Oxford University Press. He has worked in Jordan since 1993 and has been involved with and directed numerous archaeological surveys and excavations, which include the Bir Madhkur Project. He is also the recipient of many grants and fellowships, including support from the Loeb Classical Library Foundation at Harvard University, the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain, the National Geographical Society, the American Society of Overseas Research, the Explorers Club, the American Center of Research in Amman, Jordan, Dumbarton Oaks, USAID, and GW.