C. Margaret Scarry

C. Margaret Scarry is a Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving as Chair of the Curriculum in Archaeology and Director of the Research Laboratories of Archaeology. Her primary affiliations include the Department of Anthropology and the College of Arts and Sciences.

She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan (1986). Her research focuses on analyzing plant remains to study prehistoric and colonial-era foodways, particularly among Indigenous and European communities in the American South and the Greek Aegean. Key projects include investigations into the Moundville polity, colonial-era adjustments in Spanish food practices, and excavations at Azoria, Crete, exploring early urban agropastoral economies.

Her work bridges archaeobotanical analysis with social, political, and environmental contexts. Current collaborations examine Piedmont North Carolina Indigenous communities' interactions with English traders and the Azoria civic complex's role in food politics. Her extensive publications span edited volumes, journal articles, and field reports, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-environment interactions and cultural change.

Scarry directs the Research Laboratories of Archaeology, fostering fieldwork, laboratory research, and public engagement in archaeological studies. Her contributions highlight the significance of food systems in societal organization and identity formation across diverse historical periods and regions.