I am an urban archaeologist that specialises in topography/urban morphology and how that can inform us about how urban settlements developed and functioned. My research is mostly focused on the Early Islamic era, particularly in the regions of Central Asia and Bilad al-Sham. I am especially interested in the variety and change in “Islamic cities” between regions and periods during the Early Islamic era. To carry out this research, I use a comprehensive landscape archaeological approach, which entails using a combination of remote sensing investigative methods as well as targeted excavations.