Dr. Hoggarth directs the Environmental Archaeology and Radiocarbon Lab, a recently renovated lab space housed in the Department of Anthropology at Baylor University. The lab includes both dry- and wet-lab areas for organic and carbonate sample preparation, including bone collagen extraction and purification. Radiocarbon sample preparation equipment include a standard fume hood, drying oven, freezer, balances, centrifuge, Virtis lyophilizer, Labconco vortex evaporator, a programmable muffle furnace, and a vacuum line for sealing radiocarbon samples prior to combustion. The line is made with Swagelok Ultra-Torr fittings on stainless steel drawn by an oil-free Pfieffer turbo pump, and has been modeled on lines in use at the KCCAMS lab (UC Irvine) and the Human Paleoecology and Isotope Geochemistry Lab (Penn State). The lab has been swiped for the presence of 14C tracer and maintains constant quality controls on radiocarbon processing with the Penn State AMS facility through use of international and internal known-age lab standards (e.g., OX-1, Queets Wood, Beaufort Whale, FIRI secondaries).
This lab is equipped to address research related to isotope geochemistry and radiocarbon dating for archaeological, environmental, or geological samples. We currently have the capabilities to process organic and carbonate materials (e.g. charcoal/wood, bone, shell, etc.) to be submitted for stable isotopic measurement and/or AMS radiocarbon dating. Samples submitted for dating are prepped and combusted to CO2 gas, which is sent to the Penn State AMS Facility where it is converted to graphite and the AMS 14C measurements are made. Samples prepped for stable isotope analysis are analyzed in the Department of Geoscience at Baylor University.
If you are a student who is interested in gaining experience in archaeological science, please contact Julie_Hoggarth@baylor.edu.
If you are a researcher interested in the analytical services offered by the lab, please go to the laboratory website, here.