The newly upgraded archaeology laboratory in the Humanities Building had its official opening last week.

The remodelled laboratory includes a fume cabinet to allow for the use of chemical agents in analysis, and an oven to be used for preparing samples for isotopic and chemical analysis.

Other facilities are dedicated to artefact preparation and storage.

Associate Professor Heather Burke says archaeology at Flinders has grown rapidly over the last 10 years to incorporate research in a wide variety of fields.

“The new labs give us a range of facilities that we didn’t have before, including a wet room for sample processing, a climate controlled storage facility and the tools to conduct isotope work,” she said.

“These labs will enable us to undertake a range of projects around the world, and, perhaps more importantly, to care for delicate collections appropriately over the long term.”

A new computer laboratory nearby contains computers with software suitable for processing photogrammetry and spatial analysis data from the field.

In addition to supporting PhD and postgraduate research projects, the laboratory will be used by undergraduates cataloguing collections, and for intensive teaching.