Meg Kassabaum

Meg Kassabaum is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences and serves as the Weingarten Assistant Curator for North America at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Her research centers on pre-Columbian North American archaeology, with primary focus on Native American mound-building cultures of the Woodland period in the Lower Mississippi Valley.

Education:

• Ph.D., University of North Carolina
• B.A., Beloit College

Research Interests: Kassabaum investigates monumentality, communal ritual, and feasting practices through ceramic technology analysis and public archaeology engagement. Her work examines museum-education partnerships and avocational archaeologist collaborations, emphasizing community involvement in cultural heritage preservation. Fieldwork spans Eastern U.S. mound sites with decade-long specialization in Lower Mississippi Valley societies.

Publication Trends: Recent scholarship reveals consistent focus on Coles Creek and Mississippian mound centers, particularly Feltus Mounds. Key themes include ritual deposition patterns, bear ceremonialism, and feasting as social integration mechanisms. Spatial analysis of plazas and platforms demonstrates evolving approaches to understanding communal space.

Research Leadership: Since 2015, Kassabaum has directed the Smith Creek Archaeological Project and established the North American Archaeology Laboratory, driving interdisciplinary investigations into mound construction sequences and ritual practices through material culture analysis.