Patrick McGovern

Patrick E. McGovern

Biomolecular archaeologist and expert on ancient beverages

Patrick E. McGovern is Scientific Director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum.

He pioneered biomolecular archaeology – a field at the cutting edge of modern archaeology, and one that bridges the sciences and humanities, and is the world's leading expert on ancient brewing techniques and fermented beverages, including beer and wine.

He originally studied Chemistry and English Literature at Cornell University before going on to complete studies in neurochemistry at the University of Rochester, and archaeology at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He completed a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is now Scientific Director.

His scientific work includes studies on the earliest chemical evidence of grape wine and barley beer; a re-creation of the 'King Midas' funerary feast, the first time that a historic meal has been reconstructed from the chemical analysis of ancient organic residues; on-going studies on grape and yeast DNA; prehistoric Chinese fermented beverages (rice, millet, honey, and fruit-based); New World chocolate; and early wine, ranging from Neolithic villages in the Taurus and Caucasus Mountains to Iron Age shipwrecks in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He has also directed excavations in Jordan, and collaborated on projects throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

His books include Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture, the 2004 Grand Prize-winner in History, Literature, and Fine Arts, Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin; and Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages.

Patrick McGovern's research on the origins of alcoholic beverages has been featured in Time, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Nature, and elsewhere.