Organisation: University of the Highlands and Islands
Principal investigator: Ingrid Mainland
Project overview
The project aims to address the urgent need for enhanced environmental archaeology research capabilities across Scotland by establishing a single distributed facility. This project aims to mitigate the expertise and facilities for studying historic and prehistoric environments, crucial for understanding and addressing contemporary global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Project purpose
This project aims to establish a comprehensive suite of laboratories at Archaeology and the Environment Science (AEonS) Facility. This facility will enable advanced processing and analysis of biological materials, enhancing research into past ecosystems, farming practices and human responses to environmental changes.
The project will also deploy a new mobile environmental sciences laboratory to support on-site analytical needs across Scotland, fostering a network of environmental archaeology specialists and facilitating community-driven and commercial projects.
Project impacts
The establishment of these facilities will significantly broaden access to environmental archaeology resources for researchers, communities, commercial units and museums throughout Scotland. By integrating expertise and resources from multiple partners, the project will strengthen Scotland’s position as a leader in heritage science and environmental archaeology.
This initiative not only aims to preserve and interpret Scotland’s diverse landscapes and ecologies but also to contribute valuable insights globally, shaping future strategies for land management and conservation practices.