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The Institute's Geoarchaeology Laboratory provides staff and students with facilities for geoarchaeological research and teaching.
‘Earth’ is a generic term for rocks, soils, and sediments. ‘Earth’ also brings to mind space, territory, landscape, and the planet; consequently, it invokes all the terrestrial components of the constructed human niche in their geographical context.
The Geoarchaeology Lab provides the lab-based foundation for stratigraphic- and landscape-focussed geoarchaeological research at the Institute of Archaeology. The lab’s agenda is to investigate “past earth” through the study of material signatures of specific human, diagenetic, and sedimentary processes.
The lab is a network of facilities that includes:
Room 302 (aka the Micromorphology Lab, part of the Palaeoenvironmental Labs) is our facility to dry samples collected in the field and where we impregnate/embed samples for the manufacture of thin sections. The room includes a fume cupboard and air extractor. It houses our newly acquired Logitech vacuum impregnation chamber. Room B50 is used exclusively for sample preparation.
Room B50 (aka the Geoarchaeology Lab, part of Wolfson Archaeological Science Labs) houses equipment for geoarchaeological research, including a state-of-the-art Logitech GTS-1 saw and an LP70 lapping unit to manufacture thin sections for micromorphological analysis and petrographic analyses. The Lab also has a SUERC pOSL unit for luminescence stratigraphy studies; two Bartington magnetic susceptibility meters; and drying ovens, centrifuges, electronic balances, hydrometers, Endecott sieves, glassware; and pH meters. Room B50 is used for both research and teaching.
Room B10 (aka the Optical Microscopy Lab, part of the Wolfson Archaeological Science Labs) is a shared lab that houses optical petrographic microscopes (transmitted light/polarising) and stereo zoom microscopes equipped with digital cameras, as well as low end microscopes. Room B10 is used exclusively for research.
Room 401 (reference collection) houses the Cornwall and Macphail thin section reference collections. We are in the process of expanding these collections.
Lab members also use other equipment and facilities available at the Institute of Archaeology, including the Wolfson Labs (SEM/EDS, pXRF, Muffle furnace LOI, cold store for sediment storage, Milling unit, Brillant saw) and Paleoenvironmental Labs (fume cupboards for sample pre-treatment, phytolith extraction).
- Research Enquiries: Manuel Arroyo-Kalin, Associate Professor in Geoarchaeology
- Lab Support: Sandra Bond, Timea Grego
