Madeleine McLeester

Dr. Madeleine McLeester is an Assistant Professor in the Anthropology Department at Dartmouth College. Her research focuses on environmental archaeology, particularly precontact agricultural practices in marginal environments of eastern North America. She employs pollen analysis, stable isotopic approaches, and historical records to explore human-environment entanglements, early colonial encounters, and Indigenous collaborations. Currently, she directs a collaborative archaeological project with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, alongside projects in Michigan and Maine.

• Educations:
• B.A., The College, University of Chicago
• M.A., University of Chicago
• Ph.D., University of Chicago

Her research interests include anthropogenic landscapes, plant collection, secrecy, mobility, and sports. She emphasizes interdisciplinary methods to understand long-term environmental impacts of human activities and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Her publications analyze agricultural legacies, wetland use, and paleoclimatic shifts, contributing to debates in historical ecology and archaeological methodology. She actively collaborates with Indigenous communities to ensure culturally responsible research practices.