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Scientific archaeology at Reading is underpinned with excellent facilities in bioarchaeology, stable isotopes and geochemistry, geoarchaeology, archaeobotany, and palaeoclimatology. We have five dedicated research suites, comprising 21 preparation and analytical labs, as well as a range of analytical equipment both in our Wager Building and the nearby Chemical Analysis Facility. On this page you can find an overview of the facilities available for scientific archaeological research.


 

Bioarchaeology Suite


Bioarchaeology is  the study of human skeletal remains and other biological materials - such as animal bones, insects and pollen - found on archaeological sites. We strive to understand all aspects of past human behaviour, including their health, diet and their living environment. We carry out detailed analysis of human and animal remains using macroscopic, microscopic and chemical analyses within dedicated laboratory spaces, using a suite of advanced analytical equipment.

Archaeology research facilities at Reading

human osteoarchaeology and palaeopathology

In human bioarchaeology, we use digital, radiographic and microscopic imaging to explore aspects of health such as the nature and timing of fractures, underlying pathological processes, and the diagnosis of bone cancer. Our laboratories encompass digital X-ray facilities, high-powered microscopy and thin-sectioning facilities.

Our research reference collection includes a Clinical Radiograph Archive, extensive pathological examples, anatomical and osteological reference material, and measuring equipment.

 We curate over 700 adult and non-adult skeletons from archaeological sites including: 19th century St John’s church, Redhill in Surrey; the multi-period site of St Oswald’s Priory, Gloucester, early medieval Bishopstone, Sussex and later medieval Hulton Abbey, Staffordshire.

Take a look at some recent research from this laboratory: Exploring Puberty

Key publications:

Lewis M. 2018. Palaeopathology of children. Academic Press: London

Lewis M, Shapland F, and Watts R. 2016. On the threshold of adulthood: A new approach for the use of maturation indicators to assess puberty in adolescents from medieval England. American Journal of Human Biology 28(1):48-56.
Read more
Archaeology research facilities at Reading

Zooarchaeology

In zooarchaeology, we examine animal bones for information on past husbandry regimes and the health of domesticated populations, hunting practices, diet, butchery technology and human impact on local and regional ecosystems. When combined with isotopic analysis, this can be used to shed light on fodder and animal diets, as well as questions relating to mobility and trade.

Our research reference archive comprises hundreds of wild and domestic mammal bones in addition to 45 bird and 60 fish species, many showing examples of taphonomic modifications and pathology. We also curate the early medieval faunal assemblage from Lyminge, Kent, one of the largest ever recovered from Anglo-Saxon England.

Take a look at some recent research from this laboratory: The Ecology of Crusading

Key publications:

Pluskowski AG. (ed). 2012. The Ritual Killing and Burial of Animals: European Perspectives. Oxford: Oxbow. 

Pluskowski AG. 2010. The zooarchaeology of medieval ‘Christendom’: Ideology, the treatment of animals and the making of medieval Europe. World Archaeology 42 (2):201-214. 

Read more

Stable Isotope and Geochemistry Suite


Sample preparation takes place in the Archaeology Department’s laboratories, with sample analysis carried out at Reading's state-of-the-art Chemical Analysis Facility (CAF). Archaeology researchers frequently use CAF facilities, for example NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-Ray diffraction and scattering, optical spectroscopy, thermal analysis and electron microscopy. Many of these facilities are available to colleagues from across the university, offering scope for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Archaeology research facilities at Reading

stable isotope analysis

Our fully equipped sampling laboratory is used for preparing samples of bone, teeth and other biological materials for isotope analysis (i.e. carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen) to reconstruct diet, mobility and ancient environments. 

Our Geochemistry and Isotope Suite includes:

  • Sercon Elemental Analyser coupled to Europa 20-20 IRMS - for analysis of carbon and nitrogen in solid samples such as bone collagen and plants 
  • ThermoFisher Scientific Delta V IRMS including a Conflo IV (TC/EA), and a GC-C interface - to measure both bulk and compound specific isotopes 
  • ThermoFisher Scientific Delta Conflo IV with GasBench II - for carbonate carbon-oxygen analysis
  • Picarro L2120-I Isotopic Water Analyser -WS-CRDS - for analysis of hydrogen and oxygen in water.
Read more

radiogenic isotope and trace element analysis

We have a fully-equipped clean laboratory to measure low-level trace elements and radiogenic isotopes (Pb) with applications in archaeology, forensic science and the food and beverage industry. 


Our Thermo Scientific iCAP-Q Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) is fitted with an auto-sampler for analysis of radiogenic isotopes and low concentration trace element analyses. We have a Niton XL3t GOLDD+ Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (pXRF) for use in the laboratory and in the field for geochemical analyses. The School also maintains a Perkin Elmer Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). Additional organic analysis instruments in CAF allow for thedetermination of lipids, peptides and a range of proteomics.

Take a look at some recent research from this laboratory: Exeter: A Place in Time

Key publications:

Martiniano R., Caffell A., Holst M., Hunter-Mann K., Montgomery J., Müldner G. et al. 2016. Genomic signals of migration and continuity in Britain before the Anglo-Saxons. Nature Communications 7:10326 

Eckardt H., Müldner G. and Lewis M. 2014. People on the move in Roman Britain. World Archaeology, 46(4): 534-550.

Eley, Y., Dawson, L., Black, S., Andrews, J. and Pedentchouk, N. (2014) Understanding 2H/1H systematics of leaf wax n-alkanes in coastal plants at Stiffkey saltmarsh, Norfolk, UK. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 128: 13-28.

Read more

Geoarchaeology Suite


Geoarchaeology helps us to understand the sedimentary history of landscapes and sites, and the materials and technology used in buildings and artefacts, through the application of geological, soil and earth science techniques. It allows a deep-time perspective on interactions between humans and the environment, the sustainability of settlements and resource use, and living conditions and health. 

Settlement histories can be unravelled by identifying activity areas and examining site formation processes and preservation conditions. We have expertise in high-resolution micromorphological analysis of undisturbed sequences of soils and settlement deposits and materials in large resin-impregnated thin-sections. This strengthens our understanding of their composition, deposition and preservation conditions. 

Archaeology research facilities at Reading

sedimentology and micromorphology

Our sedimentology, micromorphology and materials analysis laboratories enable us to undertake in-depth high-resolution sediment description, soil micromorphology, particle size analysis, peat humification and organic matter determinations.

With this information we can create deposit models (using Rockworks; ArcGIS).

We can prepare soil micromorphology, geology and materials (e.g. pottery, stone, metal, shell, bone, pigment) thin-sections (small and large format up to 14 x 7 cm), including resin-impregnation, precision cutting, grinding and polishing (Logitech and Brot systems).

We have an extensive range of microscopy resources, including: optical, SEM EDX, infrared and Raman microscopy and spectroscopy, photomicrography, and image analysis (using Leica photomicrography and image analysis software).

Our Leica optical microscopes enable analysis in plane, polarising, fluorescent, phase contrast, stereo-binocular, oblique-incident and reflected light. We have extensive reference collections of geological specimens, archive soil samples, and micromorphological thin-sections for researchers and comparative analysis.

We also carry out 3D reconstructions of artefacts and archaeological features such as those from our excavations at Silchester using Sketchfab and photogrammetry.

Take a look at some recent research from this laboratory:

Central Zagreb Archaeological Project

The Middle East Neolithic Transition: Integrated Community Approaches (MENTICA) 

Key publications

Matthews, W. (2018) Creating settled life: Micro-histories of community, ritual and place - the Central Zagros and Çatalhöyük. In: Hodder, I. (ed.) Religion History and Place: The Origins of Settled Life. University of Colorado, Denver, pp. 107-39. 

Anderson, E., Almond, M. J., Matthews, W., Cinque, G. and Frogley, M. D. (2014) Analysis of red pigments from the Neolithic sites of Çatalhöyük in Turkey and Sheikh-e Abad in Iran. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 131. pp. 373-383.
 
Read more

Archaebotany Suite


We have dedicated laboratories for the extraction of macro- and microfossils from archaeological features (e.g. pits, ditches, hearths) and landscapes (e.g. bogs, lakes, caves). 

  • Macrofossils provide key information on past economy and diet, as well as climate and environmental change, and the facilities permit extraction by flotation, wet sieving or dry sieving of charred and waterlogged plant remains, charcoal, insects, mollusca and animal bone.
  • Microfossils provide important information on past climate and environmental change, as well as land-use histories, and the facilities permit extraction of pollen grains and spores, non-pollen palynomorphs (fungal spores), diatoms, phytoliths, Cladocera and testate amoebae.

We have an extensive range of field equipment including peat corers, column, bulk and Kubiena sampling, all suitable for subsequent laboratory assessment and analysis. To retrieve deeply buried sediments and soils we use portable deep drilling equipment (Atlas Copco 2-stroke percussion engine and Eijkelkamp window/windowless sampler) for continuous quality core samples up to 15m in depth.

We have an extensive range of high-quality microscopes and modern and fossil reference specimen collections for the analysis of these remains, housed in three dedicated laboratories. The labs have computing and photographic facilities that permit image capture and analysis, and graphical representation and statistical analysis of data.

Archaeology research facilities at ReadingArchaeology research facilities at Reading

integrated archaebotany

Our wide range of facilities have enabled us to develop new Integrated Archaeobotanical approaches, as they permit recovery and in-situ analysis and identification of an exceptionally diverse range of plant remains and parts.

This integrated high-resolution micro-contextual approach is providing new insights into agricultural practices, diet, energy sources, built environments, waste-management and health. Major world-wide plant reference collections are also available in the School of Biological Sciences’ Herbarium.

Read about our annual Integrated Archaeobotany Workshop organised by Dr Rowena Banerjea, Dr Catherine Barnett, and Dr Lisa Lodwick (Oxford).

Key publications:

Banerjea R. Badura M., Kalējs U. , Cerina A., Gos K., Hamilton-Dyer S., Maltby M., Seetah K. and Pluskowski A. 2017. A multi-proxy, diachronic and spatial perspective on the urban activities within an indigenous community in medieval Riga, Latvia. Quaternary International, 460: 3-21.

Branch N. and Marini N. 2014. Mid-Late Holocene environmental change and human activities in the northern Apennines, Italy. Quaternary International, 353: 34-51.

Read more

Palaeoclimatology  Suite


Documenting past climate change, and understanding how this has impacted humans is a fundamental part of our research at Reading, in collaboration with the departments of Geography, Environmental Science and Meteorology. Researchers come together at our Centre for Past Climate Change. Our contribution focuses on the last 11,700 years, with palaeoecological approaches being complemented by work such as data from the analysis of calcite deposited in stalactites in caves, or from shells and teeth in archaeological deposits, and through tree ring analysis in our dendrochronology laboratory.

Archaeology research facilities at ReadingArchaeology research facilities at Reading

carbonate analysis

We have a dedicated laboratory to drill calcite materials (e.g., stalagmites, shells and teeth) using a micro-mill (Sherline 5410), where samples can be collected at a resolution of 50 micrometres (0.050 mm). We have developed a preparation line and workflow for the extraction of stalagmite fluid inclusion water, which can then be analysed using our Picarro CRDS.

Learn about our Centre for Past Climate Change

Key publications:


Smith M., Singarayer J., Valdes P., Kaplan J. and Branch N. 2016. The biogeophysical climatic impacts of anthropogenic land use change during the Holocene. Climate of the Past, 12(4), pp.923-941.

Xoplaki E., Fleitmann D., Luterbacher J., Wagner S., Haldon J., Zorita E., Telelis I., Toreti A. and Izdebski A., 2016. The Medieval Climate Anomaly and Byzantium: A review of the evidence on climatic fluctuations, economic performance and societal change. Quaternary Science Reviews, 136, pp.229-252.

Read more,Read more

Chemical Analysis Facility


The University of Reading's Chemical Analysis Facility supports our research in archaeology, chemistry, pharmacy, food biosciences, soil sciences and agriculture. Facilities include nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal analysis, molecular spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scattering, optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry equipment and an electron microscopy laboratory. Access to the facility’s expertise and instruments is available to external collaborators as well as staff. Find out more.

Quest


Quest (Quaternary Scientific) is a commercial enterprise within our School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES). It provides an expert Archaeological and Environmental Science service to archaeological units, environmental consultancies and government organisations. The specialist Quest team can manage pre-development investigation projects from initial set-up and design through to publication. The enterprise also has a network of specialist and technical staff that service all aspects of archaeological and environmental science contract work. Find out more

contact us

Professor Mary Lewis, Lead for Archaeological Science

m.e.lewis@reading.ac.uk

School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES)
University of Reading
Wager Building
Whiteknights
Reading
RG6 6AB
UK

useful links

Archaeology Research Division

Department of Archaeology

Research Facilities at Reading

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