معرفی
Dr. Karen Metheny is a Mastery Lecturer in Gastronomy and Archaeology at Boston University’s MET Master of Liberal Arts Program. She specializes in historical archaeology and food studies, focusing on the intersection of food practices with social institutions, identity formation, and interdisciplinary food mapping. Her research bridges archaeology, anthropology, and sensory studies, particularly in colonial and historical contexts. Metheny earned her PhD in Archaeological Studies from Boston University in 2002 and has held roles as a research fellow and visiting researcher in the Department of Archaeology before joining the faculty.
Her academic contributions include co-editing the groundbreaking Archaeology of Food: An Encyclopedia (2015) and serving as a series co-editor for the Archaeology of Food book series. She has presented widely, including at the Jacques Pépin Lecture Series and Plimoth Plantation, and received the Chadwick Fellowship (2015–16) for her work on maize in colonial New England. Metheny’s research emphasizes sensory engagement, material culture, and the cultural significance of foodways in historical communities.
Her advising and grants focus on interdisciplinary approaches to food studies and cultural landscapes. She has explored topics like industrial landscapes in Pennsylvania coal towns and New England’s cultural patina through archaeological and historical methodologies. Metheny actively participates in academic organizations such as the Society for Historical Archaeology and the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology, contributing to both professional and public discourse on archaeology and food studies.
