TheResearch Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) is alaboratory at theUniversity of Oxford,England which develops and applies scientific methods to the study of the past. It was established in 1955 and its first director wasTeddy Hall.[1] The first deputy director was Dr Stuart Young, who was followed byMartin Aitken in 1957.[1] After many years of de facto association with theInstitute of Archaeology, in 2000 it was jointly brought under the single departmental umbrella ofSchool of Archaeology.
The laboratory includes the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU), which carries outradiocarbon dating using anaccelerator mass spectrometer.[2] The Laboratory publishes the journalArchaeometry, and hosts a chair named for its first director, Edward Hall Professorship in Archaeological Science, and a seminar series named forMartin Aitkin.
The Laboratory is currently directed by ProfessorMark Pollard.
In 1989, when Teddy Hall retired, the laboratory was placed in jeopardy. In order for the university to agree to the funding of the Deputy Directorship in 1955, Hall, who was independently wealthy, forfeited his own salary.[4] Knowing that his replacement would require funding, he launched an appeal and raised a million pound endowment for a chair, the now eponymous Edward Hall Professorship in Archaeological Science.
The first to take this chair was a previous student ofMartin Aitken's, Mike Tite,[3] who also worked with the pair on dating the Turin Shroud.[5] Tite was Edward Hall Professor from 1989, until his retirement in 2004. He was replaced byMark Pollard, who remains in post.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This article relating toarchaeology in the United Kingdom is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article about an organisation in theUnited Kingdom is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This United Kingdom university, college or other education institution article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
