IRMS lab

The IRMS Laboratory, located in the Department of Geology, in Chemicum room 2028, focuses on stable isotope analysis of archaeological and environmental materials. The different instruments here, overseen by lab manager Holar Sepp, allow us to investigate the origins of food resources and ecological relationships in the past.

With EA-IRMS, bulk isotope measurements of materials such as food crusts or bone collagen can help distinguish between different carbohydrate-rich plants (C3 or C4), proteinaceous animal resources (marine or terrestrial) and trophic levels.

GC-c-IRMS allows compound-specific isotope analysis of fatty acids and amino acids, providing extra differentiation power of food resources (C3/C4 plants, marine, fresh water, non-ruminant, ruminant animals and dairies).

By combining bulk and compound-specific isotope approaches, the laboratory contributes to the reconstruction of ancient diets, food systems, and human–environment interactions.