Currently he is the Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archeology and History at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University.[2] He also previously worked in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.[3] Potts is an expert in the history of the ancient Near East. He primarily focused his research in the history of Iran from ancient times to the pre-modern era and the history of the Arabian Peninsula. Potts also is a co-editor of The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, one of the most authoritative series of the collective works about the subject.