Laboratories

The GIA has laboratories for palynological, palaeobotanical and archaeozoological research, a laboratory for conservation and material studies and a maceration laboratory. Reference collections of animal skeletons, seeds and pollen are available. The Poststraat building also has rooms for the cleaning and treatment of artefacts, as well as a large drawing office and facilities for digital cartography . Spacious but modestly equipped rooms to study large samples of artefacts are available in a nearby building in the centre of Groningen .

 

 

The Laboratory for Palynology and Palaeobotany is located on Academy Square, at Broerstraat 9. The laboratory has facilities for the study of pollen from western Europe and the Near East and for the study of plant macro remains from western Europe, the Near East and Egypt. The reference collection of the laboratory currently contains approximately 6000 pollen samples and more than 29,000 samples of seeds and fruits [DOC]. The production of digital seed atlases of the flora of the Netherlands and of economic plants are in progress. Further information can be obtained by contacting Prof. René Cappers (r.t.j.cappers@rug.nl, tel:050-3636741) or Ing. Henk Woldring (h.woldring@rug.nl, telephone 050-3636742).

 

 

The Laboratory for Conservation and Material Studies (LCM), also at Broerstraat 9, was set up conserve and study excavated objects and materials. Laboratory staff has expertise in the most important archaeological groups of materials: metals, ceramics, organic materials, and stone. The LCM also provides consultancy and facilities to third parties. For more information, go to the LCM website www.rug.nl/let/lcm.

 

 

The Archaeozoology Laboratory is located on the third floor of Poststraat 6, rooms 0333-6. It has facilities for the identification and study of archaeozoological materials from Northwestern Europe , the Mediterranean and the Near East. The laboratory has extensive reference collections of skeletons of mammals, birds and fishes, and small reference collections of skeletons of amphibians and reptiles. It also has reference collections of shells of marine molluscs from the Netherlands and Greece . Reference collections of foetal and juvenile skeletons, jaws of cattle, pigs and sheep of various ages, of bones opened to show the interior, and of bone tools facilitate the identification of archaeozoological material. The laboraty has sieving implements to sieve soil samples on excavations. The Archaeozoology Laboratory also has a maceration laboratory at the Zernike premises of the RuG in Paddepoel. Robert Kosters and Tom Jacobs prepare animal skeletons in a maceration apparatus in this laboratory. The Archaeozoology Laboratory provides consultancy and facilities to third parties. Further information can be obtained by contacting Dr Wietske Prummel (w.prummel@rug.nl, telephone 050-3636732) or Robert Kosters and Tom Jacobs (telephone 050-3636731).