Analytical services
Available Funding
If you don’t have access to funds, funded services are available through E-RIHS and RICHeS. Please submit an enquiry to us if you are interested in accessing these services.
Analytical Services Provided
Chiral Amino Acid Analysis
A NERC-recognised facility (NEaar) that analyses multiple chiral amino acids to measure the extent of protein degradation in biominerals (including amino acid racemisation; AAR). This enables an estimation of relative age over Quaternary timescales (amino acid geochronology), and can also be used to assess the endogeneity and/or the preservation of amino acids in archaeological and palaeontological materials.
Explore our facilities in Amino Acid Analysis
Molecular Sex Estimation
Rapid proteomic amelogenin sex estimation of human and animal remains. This approach targets the well-preserved enamel protein amelogenin, whose isoforms reflect the x and y-chromosome. The method has been successfully applied to humans and cattle. It is particularly useful in cases where sex estimation is not possible using osteoarchaeological approaches. This method is rapid, accurate and more affordable than DNA sex estimation methods.
See our Palaeoproteomics Lab
Organic Residue Analysis
BioArCh conducts lipid analysis on ceramics, sediments, and natural products such as tars, pitches, and waxes to support the reconstruction of ancient diets, food processing practices, and vessel use in archaeological contexts.
See our Archaeological Chemistry Lab and Sample Prep Labs
Palaeogenomics
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Ancient DNA from archaeological remains can help answer questions about evolutionary relationships, ancestry, domestication, and phenotypic traits. We offer extraction of DNA from bones and the preparation of next generation sequencing libraries. Please contact us regarding anicent plant remains and sediment samples.
See details of our Palaeogenomics facilities
Palaeoproteomics
Extraction and analysis of proteins from archaeological artefacts, dental calculus (mineralised plaque) and skeletal remains aid our understanding of past foods and diets, taxonomy and phylogeny, disease processes and studies of protein diagenesis and modification.
See our facilities in Palaeoproteomics and ZooMS
Stable Isotope Analysis
The BioArCh stable isotope facility is capable of bulk carbon, nitrogen and sulphur analysis of collagen by elemental analysis isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) for dietary analysis, and oxygen isotope analysis of bone carbonate for mobility and migration studies.
See our facilities in Stable Isotope Analysis
ZooMS
Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) – species identification via collagen fingerprinting. A rapid and low-cost form of protein analysis using collagen or other proteins preserved in archaeological and historic artefacts to enable taxonomic identification of the species from which they derive.
See our facilities in Palaeoproteomics and ZooMS
