Patrick E. McGovern of Media, a pioneering biomolecular archaeologist who was especially interested in the history of wine, beer, and ale, died Aug. 24. He was 80, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dr. McGovern, formerly of Upper Darby, was the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and an adjunct professor of anthropology.
In his career, he visited big digs in China, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Central America.
Colleagues described Dr. McGovern as a curious, adventurous, and innovative researcher.
He directed research on ancient cuisine, fermented beverages, and health, revealing previously unknown ingredients in ancient recipes for dishes like barbecued lamb, goat stew, chocolate, medicine, and dye.
“Just about every culture you can think of, they have a fermented beverage that’s central to the social activity, religions, and a lot of times, it becomes economically very important,” Dr. McGovern told NPR in a 2017 interview.
Newspapers and magazines reported his findings—including the world’s oldest recorded rice wine in China, the oldest beer in Iran and a unique wine, beer, and mead drink in Turkey.
Read more about the life of Dr. Patrick E. McGovern in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
