Facilities - Classics and Archaeology
As well as the excellent general facilities available to all students, we also have some specialist ones for Classics and Archaeology students.
This includes six laboratories, where you can get valuable hands-on experience with human, animal and plant materials.
You can only learn so much about bones from a textbook. Seeing it in person, looking at the proportions, it makes it much easier to visualise.
Emily LeHegarat, Archaeology BSc
Read more about Emily's experience
University of Nottingham Museum
The University of Nottingham Museum is home to a collection of archaeological artefacts from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
The strength of these collections can be found in their original everyday use, which introduces us to everyday life over a very wide period of time.
Archaeology laboratories
We have an impressive suite of facilities dedicated to research and teaching. They were fully refurbished in 2016. You will receive full training in lab techniques and develop advanced skills, depending on your specialisation.
Watch our archaeology laboratories tour
Archaeology teaching laboratory
Who's it for?
Used by all staff and students for practical classes and seminars.
Acts as a focus for knowledge sharing within the archaeology community. Informal Wednesday morning 'hang-out' sessions allow staff and students to share latest research, problems with work, and latest news and events.
Ancient technologies laboratory
What's it for?
Used for analysing glasses, ceramics and metals to understand why objects were used and particular materials selected.
Also used for experiments to fuse glass and fire pottery.
What's in the lab?
There's a fume cupboard, furnace and sample preparation facilities, as well as powerful microscopes.
Current and recent projects include research on:
- the earliest glass from Turkey
- prehistoric black glass from Europe
- the analysis of porcelain from Silk Road shipwrecks
Plant laboratory
What is it?
A dedicated space for the analysis and investigation of seeds and charcoal. It is a hub of research into a range of topics, from human-environment interactions and food practices to trade, urbanisation and colonialism.
The lab houses a growing modern reference collection of plant material, identification manuals and a range of high quality micro and stereo scopes.
Current and recent projects include research on hunter-gatherer sites including:
- Epipalaeolithic Jordan
- the Aegean
- Roman London and Barcelona
- Anglo-Saxon Britain
- early modern Quebec (Canada).
Bones laboratory
What is it?
Allows for human and non-human remains to be analysed together. This simultaneous analysis leads to greater understanding of the bones themselves as well as the activities, health and behaviour of people and animals.
This approach is revolutionising our understanding of mainstream archaeological questions.
Isotope laboratory
What is it?
This lab allows us to prepare samples for isotope analysis. These analyses tell us about the diets and migration patterns of past people and animals.
In particular, we seek to connect ancient and modern data to explore how human-animal-environment relationships have changed, why, and with what consequences for the future.
Imaging laboratory
What is it?
We are committed to preserving and presenting heritage using digital technologies. We have recently refurbished our imaging lab to improve our 3D photogrammetry, geophysics and CAD model building capabilities.
Using the latest equipment and software we can create digital illustrations, 3D models and visualisations of archaeological artefacts and sites.