Shanti Morell-Hart

Shanti Morell-Hart is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University, where she conducts research on gastronomic heritage, agricultural origins, and human-plant relationships. Her work bridges anthropology, archaeology, and environmental science with a focus on Mesoamerican cultures.

Dr. Morell-Hart's educational background includes dual Bachelor of Arts degrees from Wesleyan University (Latin American Studies with Anthropology concentration and Anthropology with Bio-Archaeology focus), followed by a Master's and PhD in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.

Her research centers on gastronomic heritage, the origins and impacts of agriculture in societal development, plant contributions to ritual activities, botanical practices diversity, and human-environment dynamics transformations. Methodologically, she employs paleoethnobotany, archival research, GIS modeling, and linguistic approaches to analyze human-plant interactions across time. She particularly focuses on narratives of "collapse" and resilience related to ecological variability, with current fieldwork in Mexico (Oaxaca and Quintana Roo), Honduras, and Guatemala.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on Maya civilization studies, Oaxacan foodways, and ancient agricultural practices, with increasing integration of advanced technologies like LiDAR and GIS for spatial analysis of archaeological landscapes. Her work spans archaeobotany, environmental archaeology, and food studies, with particular attention to how ancient food practices inform contemporary issues of food security and sustainability.

With Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding, Dr. Morell-Hart has expanded the McMaster Paleoethnobotany Research Facility (MPERF) for research and training purposes, supporting extractions, identifications, and analyses of botanical residues from Mesoamerica and Ontario.

She teaches courses including Ancient Mesoamerica: Aztecs to Zapotecs, Archaeology of Foodways, Gastronomic Heritage, and Readings in Archaeology, mentoring students in paleoethnobotanical analysis and spatial research methods. Her teaching reflects her multidisciplinary approach to understanding human-plant relationships throughout history.