Thomas H. McGovern

Thomas H. McGovern is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY). He directs the Hunter Zooarchaeology Laboratory and the CUNY Human Ecodynamics Research Center, focusing on environmental archaeology, zooarchaeology, and long-term human ecodynamics in the North Atlantic and circumpolar regions. His work bridges archaeology with global change research, emphasizing sustainability and resilience.

• PhD from Columbia University (1979)

His research spans climate change impacts on Norse settlements, historical ecology, and island archaeology, with fieldwork in Greenland, Iceland, the Caribbean, and the Northeastern United States. He co-founded the North Atlantic Biocultural Organization (NABO) and contributed to the Global Human Ecodynamics Alliance (GHEA) through NSF-funded initiatives.

Recent publications analyze soil erosion in Iceland, Norse adaptation in Greenland, and climate change policy integration. Awards include the 2019 Society for American Archaeology Presidential Recognition and the 2019 St Andrews Article Prize. He teaches courses in Zooarchaeology, European Archaeology, and Field Methods in Archaeology.

• 2019 Presidential Recognition Award, Society for American Archaeology
• 2019 St Andrews Article Prize in European Environmental History

As director of the Hunter Zooarchaeology Laboratory, he advances methodologies for faunal analysis and data management in archaeological contexts. His work connects ancient ecological challenges to modern sustainability solutions.