Thomas Barfield‘s areas of expertise include social anthropology and nomadic peoples. His books include Afghanistan: A cultural and political history and The Central Asian Arabs of Afghanistan: Pastoral nomadism in transition. He is the recipient of honors including a Certificate of Appreciation from the Herat Ministry of Culture; a Guggenheim Fellowship; and the American Library Association’s award for Outstanding Academic Book in Art and Architecture. He is the president of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies.
His current research considers the existence of “shadow empires,” the legacy of imperial powers which continue to impact world politics today despite having been disrupted or dissipated by the rise of the present arrangement of nation states. Learn more about his activities and research at his profile page on the website of the Department of Anthropology.