Meredith S. Chesson

Meredith S. Chesson is a Professor of Anthropology and Concurrent Professor of Gender Studies at the University of Notre Dame, serving as Director of Graduate Studies and a Fellow of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.

Her academic background includes:

• B.A. in Classics with honors, Brown University (1990)
• M.A. in Anthropology, Harvard University (1993)
• Ph.D. in Anthropology, Harvard University (1997)

Chesson's research focuses on material culture and the construction of difference in human societies through archaeological theory and feminist frameworks. She investigates daily life, built environments, and mortuary practices to understand how people navigate societal changes across time.

Her major projects include:

• Co-directing the Expedition to the Dead Sea Plain (EDSP) studying Early Bronze Age urbanism in Jordan
• Leading the Bova Marina Archaeological Project examining Calabrian communities from the Final Bronze Age to modern era
• Conducting ethnoarchaeological research on Irish domestic materiality through Notre Dame's CLIC project

As a Nanovic Institute Fellow, she contributes to European studies while mentoring graduate students as Director of Graduate Studies. Current fieldwork expansions include comparative sustainability studies in Calabrian uplands.