Bio


Aaron Brown is an archaeologist specializing in Roman and Italic material culture with particular interests in ancient foodways (i.e. the practices and beliefs surrounding the production and consumption of food and drink), craft production and the life histories of artifacts, the Roman household, and the lived experiences of the non-elite. Much of his research seeks to recover the daily realities of ancient persons’ lives in order to better understand large-scale social structures and how they changed over time. His current book project is a social and material history of cooking in the Roman Empire.

He serves as the assistant director of the Pompeii Artifact Life History Project (PALHIP) and a ceramic specialist for the Pompeii I.14 project. He has also worked at the following sites in Italy: Rofalco, Cetamura del Chianti, Cerveteri, Morgantina, and Oplontis.

Academic Appointments


  • Lecturer, Classics

Professional Education


  • B.A., Florida State University, Classics & Latin (2013)
  • M.A., University of California, Berkeley, Classical Archaeology (2015)
  • Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Classical Archaeology (2022)

2024-25 Courses