Christopher Morehart

Christopher Morehart is an Associate Professor and Director of the Teotihuacan Research Laboratory at Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. He also serves as a Senior Global Futures Scientist and is affiliated with the Water Institute. His research focuses on environmental anthropology, ethnobotany, and archaeology in Mesoamerica, particularly in the Basin of Mexico and Maya Lowlands. Morehart leads the Northern Basin of Mexico Historical Ecology Project, examining long-term landscape legacies and political ecology. He directs ASU's Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Environmental Anthropology, integrating botanical and anthropological methods.

Education: Ph.D. (Northwestern University, 2010), M.Sc. (Florida State University, 2002), B.A. (Ohio University, 1999).

Research interests include historical ecology, political economy, archaeobotany, and sustainability. He has authored/co-authored over 50 publications, including works on chinampa agriculture, human sacrifice in Mesoamerica, and remote sensing applications in archaeology. Notable awards include the 2014 Gordon Willey Prize for his American Anthropologist article reimagining Mesoamerican state formation.

Recent projects include studies on water infrastructure in Mexico City (2019) and biogeochemical analyses of migration in the Basin of Mexico (2021). He teaches courses like People and Plants and advises graduate students in archaeological and anthropological research. His work bridges past and present, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability and cultural heritage.