Mission & Scope
The SNU Archaeological Science Labs are devoted to the study of human interactions with past environments. There are multiple spaces focusing on the analysis of different materials: the Archaeobotany Lab, the Zooarchaeology Lab, the Archaeometry Lab, the Archaeological Materials Lab, the Palaeolithic Materials lab, and the wet chemistry lab. In this webspace the work of the Archaeobotany and wet chemistry lab are focused on though we hope to expand to include tabs for the other labs as we build the webspace.
The Archaeobotany and Wet Chemistry labs are looking at the analysis of archaeological plant remains from around the world, spanning the Palaeolithic to recent historic periods. The labs were renovated and reopened in March 2022, and are under the direction of Asst. Professor Jennifer Bates.
The spaces are excellently equipped for the analysis of plant remains (seeds, wood charcoal, phytoliths, starch grains, and pollen). The wet chemistry facilities allow for the extraction of phytoliths and other microfossils and for the preparation of geochemistry samples.
With our extensive range of microscopes and equipment we are able to support the analysis of other archaeological and historic materials using transmitted, reflected and (coming soon) SEM, as well as high powered Keyence microscopy (starting December 2022).
Our comparative collections of seeds, wood, charcoal, phytoliths and pollen are developing, and will have a baseline for analysis worldwide, with specific foci in South Asia and East Asia. Our projects are predominantly in these regions but we welcome anyone working in other areas to join us in collaborations.
Projects
Recent Publications by Lab Members
Bates, J., Choi, J. 2023. Different strategies in Indus agriculture: The goals and outcomes of farming choices. Antiquity, 1-13. doi:10.15184/aqy.2023.134 Bates, J. 2023. A Materiality Approach to Containers in the Indus Tradition. Archaeological Research in Asia 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2022.100418 Bates, J. 2022. The fits and starts of Indian rice domestication - how the movement of rice across northwest India impacted domestication pathways and agricultural stories. Frontiers of Ecology and Environment (special issue: Effects of Novel Environments on Domesticated Species). https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.924977 Bates, J., 2022. The Origins and Development of Agriculture in South Asia, in: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.013.553 Silva, F. et al. 2022. Developing Transdisciplinary Approaches to Sustainability Challenges: The Need to Model Socio-Environmental Systems in the Longue Durée. Sustainability. 10.3390/su141610234 Angourakis, A. et al. 2022. Weather, land and crops in the Indus Village model: A simulation framework for crop dynamics under environmental variability and climate change in the Indus Civilisation. Quaternary. 5(2):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/quat5020025 Bates, J., Wilcox Black, K., Morrison, K.D., 2022. Millet Bread and Pulse Dough from Early Iron Age South India: Charred Food Lumps as Culinary Indicators. Journal of Archaeological Science 137: 105531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2021.105531
Events, Outreach &Social Media
ECSAS Turin - July 2023 https://ecsas2023turin.eu/ INQUA Roma - July 2023 https://inquaroma2023.org/ Kashmir conference on genetics and archaeology - June 2023 https://sites.google.com/view/adnasouthasia/ 42nd Conference for the Association for Environmental Archaeology (AEA) - Dec 2022 https://envarch.net/news Annual Conference of the Korean Archaeological Society - Nov 2022 http://www.kras.or.kr/?c=114
SNU Archaeological Labs 