richard hodges obe, fsa (born 29 september 1952) is a british archaeologist and president of the american university of rome. a former professor and director of the institute of world archaeology at the university of east anglia (1996–2007), hodges is also the former williams director of the university of pennsylvania museum of archaeology and anthropology in philadelphia (october 2007- 2012). his published research primarily concerns trade and economics during the early part of the middle ages in europe. his earlier works include "dark age economics" (1982), "mohammed, charlemagne and the origins of europe" (1983) and "light in the dark ages: the rise and fall of san vincenzo al volturno" (1997).