Institute for Heritage and Environmental Science: 14CHRONO for RICHeS
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University of Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Natural and Built Environment
Abstract
The current application aims to enhance the exiting heritage science landscape of the UK, by leveraging globally unique capacities that coalesce at QUB. This will utilise our novel thermal decomposition-based carbon separation technique, to provide a bespoke dating facility addressing legacy issues for UK museum collections through RICHES, while also future-proofing the regional requirements of the heritage sector for Northern Ireland and its stakeholders.
14CHRONO at QUB is a globally recognised leader in heritage science. It currently forms a vital piece of the infrastructure for conservation, heritage and environmental sciences across the UK, but is particularly significant for Northern Ireland where it offers the only dedicated and all-island facility for this sector. Underpinning this significance is a £5.2m upgrade in 2021, which created the Institute for Heritage and Environmental Science (IHES). IHES has leveraged the distinguished history of 14CHRONO, alongside critical mass in analytical science at QUB, to deliver a core piece of infrastructure for fundamental research and access to heritage science and collections-based research in Northern Ireland and across the UK. Alongside 14CHRONO providing the only laboratory encompassing all forms of chronological modelling in a single facility in the UK (e.g. radiocarbon, dendrochronology, Pb210, and tephrochronology), the new, expanded capacities of IHES since 2021 provide a state-of-the-art suite of laboratories that deliver a first all-island facility for isotope geochemistry, materials characterisation, imaging, and environmental modelling in Northern Ireland. The present application crystallises these achievements by continuing to support regional and national partnerships with stakeholders and non-IRO statutory bodies in Northern Ireland. As such, this application will: (i) leverage these newly developed partnerships, capacities and experiences to future-proof the particular local needs of the regional sector in Northern Ireland (e.g. where logistics or fragility of collections prevent accessing facilities in GB) in partnership with the main regional stakeholder, National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI); and (ii) harness these capacities to develop a globally leading-edge facility that combines the unique capacities and state-of-the-art capabilities of 14CHRONO and IHES to address UK-wide and globally relevant legacy conservation and dating issues facing museum collections and heritage professionals. Specifically, it will expand the application of novel approaches to radiocarbon dating and isotope geochemistry, through our recently established Ramped Pyroxidation/Combustion system (can switch between RPO and RC system) and MICADAS Accelerated Mass Spectrometer (AMS) gas interface capabilities, to integrate Micro-CT and evolved gas analysis. This will produce a globally unique facility with a specialism in chemical characterisation of 'problematic' elements within museum collections, capable of addressing legacy conservation histories, and tailoring treatment solutions. Similarly, it will cater for the basic capacity and access requirements of Northern Ireland's heritage sector, providing state-of-the-art facilities for analysis, conservation and research for user groups from within and without the region.
14CHRONO at QUB is a globally recognised leader in heritage science. It currently forms a vital piece of the infrastructure for conservation, heritage and environmental sciences across the UK, but is particularly significant for Northern Ireland where it offers the only dedicated and all-island facility for this sector. Underpinning this significance is a £5.2m upgrade in 2021, which created the Institute for Heritage and Environmental Science (IHES). IHES has leveraged the distinguished history of 14CHRONO, alongside critical mass in analytical science at QUB, to deliver a core piece of infrastructure for fundamental research and access to heritage science and collections-based research in Northern Ireland and across the UK. Alongside 14CHRONO providing the only laboratory encompassing all forms of chronological modelling in a single facility in the UK (e.g. radiocarbon, dendrochronology, Pb210, and tephrochronology), the new, expanded capacities of IHES since 2021 provide a state-of-the-art suite of laboratories that deliver a first all-island facility for isotope geochemistry, materials characterisation, imaging, and environmental modelling in Northern Ireland. The present application crystallises these achievements by continuing to support regional and national partnerships with stakeholders and non-IRO statutory bodies in Northern Ireland. As such, this application will: (i) leverage these newly developed partnerships, capacities and experiences to future-proof the particular local needs of the regional sector in Northern Ireland (e.g. where logistics or fragility of collections prevent accessing facilities in GB) in partnership with the main regional stakeholder, National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI); and (ii) harness these capacities to develop a globally leading-edge facility that combines the unique capacities and state-of-the-art capabilities of 14CHRONO and IHES to address UK-wide and globally relevant legacy conservation and dating issues facing museum collections and heritage professionals. Specifically, it will expand the application of novel approaches to radiocarbon dating and isotope geochemistry, through our recently established Ramped Pyroxidation/Combustion system (can switch between RPO and RC system) and MICADAS Accelerated Mass Spectrometer (AMS) gas interface capabilities, to integrate Micro-CT and evolved gas analysis. This will produce a globally unique facility with a specialism in chemical characterisation of 'problematic' elements within museum collections, capable of addressing legacy conservation histories, and tailoring treatment solutions. Similarly, it will cater for the basic capacity and access requirements of Northern Ireland's heritage sector, providing state-of-the-art facilities for analysis, conservation and research for user groups from within and without the region.
