Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton, Fellow of the British Academy and Research Professor at the British School at Rome, Simon was a renowned expert in ports, commerce, urbanism and culture in the early Roman Mediterranean. His written legacy includes 10 books, as author or co-author, 12 edited books, and more than 200 papers. As part of his research, Simon led several extensive archaeological surveys in the Mediterranean, including the Ager Tarraconensis in Catalonia and a number of Roman towns in the Tiber Valley. In particular, he was well known as Director of the Portus Project – a body of research exploring and surveying the ancient port of Rome and its connection with Mediterranean trading networks. The project prompted numerous high-profile media appearances and played a significant role in the Italian Government’s decision to make Portus an integral part of one of its largest and most-visited archaeological parks, Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica.

A greatly respected leader and highly valued colleague of more than 30 years at The University of Southampton, Simon was Head of Archaeology twice and more recently assumed the role of Associate Dean for Research within Humanities. He retired from the University in the summer of 2020.