Molly Swetnam-Burland

I am a specialist in Roman material culture and social history (PhD University of Michigan), with particular interests in Pompeii and Rome. I have research interests in Latin epigraphy, the working lives of the enslaved and freed members of the emperor’s household, in domestic religion, and in the cult of Isis in Italy. For my full c.v., click here, and to read some of my work, click here.

For students interesting in working with me: I’m also involved in The Mosaic Lab, and have overseen and done some collaborative work with students there. This online exhibit that I curated with a student on Palmyrene Portraits is a personal favorite! In Spring 2025 and Spring 2026 I am running the Liber Memorialis Project, a collaborative effort to translate and make accessible a rare ancient work written for children. Read more about that here!

If you are a student asking me to write a letter on your behalf, please fill out this form and email it to me! Please make your request three weeks before your deadline.

In 2019, my students and I created a database of all Etruscan-period amber objects in US museums. Read about it here!