Subscribe
77°
‘Indiana Jones Of Ancient Alcohol’ UPenn Professor Pat McGovern Dies Suddenly
Patrick Edward McGovern, the University of Pennsylvania professor celebrated worldwide as the “Indiana Jones of Ancient Alcohol,” died suddenly the week of Aug. 17, 2025, leaving colleagues and friends in shock.
McGovern, 78, was the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, where he also served as an adjunct professor of anthropology.
Over nearly five decades at Penn, McGovern pioneered the field of molecular archaeology, chemically uncovering the secrets of ancient beer, wine, mead, …
