Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art
Encyclopedia
The Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) is a laboratory
at the University of Oxford
, England
which develops and applies scientific methods to the study of the past. It was established in 1955 and its first director was Teddy Hall
. The first deputy director was Dr Stuart Young, who was followed by Martin Aitken in 1957.
As of 2004, the Laboratory is directed by Professor Mark Pollard. Amongst the areas of research it has been involved in are:
The laboratory includes the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, which carries out radiocarbon dating
using an accelerator mass spectrometer. The Laboratory publishes the journal Archaeometry.
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which develops and applies scientific methods to the study of the past. It was established in 1955 and its first director was Teddy Hall
Edward Thomas Hall
Edward Thomas Hall CBE, Hon. FBA, FSA, D.Phil was a British scientist.-Life:Born in London, Hall was also a hot-air-balloon pilot and owner of Cameron O-84 Flaming Pearl G-AYAJ 1970-1990....
. The first deputy director was Dr Stuart Young, who was followed by Martin Aitken in 1957.
As of 2004, the Laboratory is directed by Professor Mark Pollard. Amongst the areas of research it has been involved in are:
- Radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
- Luminescence dating
- Materials analysis
- Palaeodiet
- Archaeological geophysicsArchaeological geophysicsGeophysical survey in archaeology most often refers to ground-based physical sensing techniques used for archaeological imaging or mapping. Remote sensing and marine surveys are also used in archaeology, but are generally considered separate disciplines...
- Uranium-series dating
- DiagenesisDiagenesisIn geology and oceanography, diagenesis is any chemical, physical, or biological change undergone by a sediment after its initial deposition and during and after its lithification, exclusive of surface alteration and metamorphism. These changes happen at relatively low temperatures and pressures...
The laboratory includes the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, which carries out radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
using an accelerator mass spectrometer. The Laboratory publishes the journal Archaeometry.