The second call of the RICHeS Access Fund opened on Monday 14 September, providing organisations, researchers and heritage professionals across the UK with an opportunity to access specialist heritage science infrastructure and expertise. One of the participating facilities is the AHRC Centre for Chemical Characterisation in Heritage Science (C3HS) at the University of Bristol.

Prospective applicants interested in using the C3HS facilities are strongly encouraged to contact the C3HS team before submitting their application. You can email the team at bris-riches3chs@bristol.ac.uk.

The deadline for applications is 15 December.

Over £500,000 awarded to enable 43 organisations across the UK to investigate historic sites, reveal new stories about museum collections, improve conservation techniques and tackle some of the biggest challenges facing cultural heritage through the first Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) Access Fund.

Over £500,000 has been awarded through the first call of the RICHeS Access Fund to 43 organisations across all four nations of the UK, enabling them access to specialist heritage science facilities, collections and expertise that would otherwise have been beyond their reach.

Two of the successful projects will take place at facilities at the University of Bristol as part of our new AHRC Centre for Chemical Characterisation in Heritage Science (C3HS) You can read the full announcement here.

The UK Archaeological Sciences (UKAS) conference was held at the University of Bristol from 30th March to 2nd April and welcomed 180 archaeological scientists from over 40 institutions across 11 countries. The organisers were delighted to sponsor the attendance of around 10 undergraduates from the School of Chemistry and the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, who enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to attend their first international conference.

Following a welcome from the Head of School of the School of Chemistry, Professor Craig Butts, the conference opened with an inspiring keynote lecture by Professor Richard Evershed FRS. Richard reflected on “more than 40 years of becoming an archaeological scientist” in front of an audience of UKAS delegates, University of Bristol colleagues, friends and family, and members of the public.

The programme then unfolded over two and a half days of talks, posters, laboratory tours, and many opportunities to reconnect, exchange ideas, and spark new collaborations over tea or lunch.

We warmly thank the organising and scientific committees, as well as all the volunteers, whose efforts made UKAS a highly successful and enjoyable conference.

Last year we were very excited to be able to work on samples from a late Roman burial, excavated in Essex by Colchester Archaeological Trust. We worked on samples taken from inside the coffin, finding evidence of frankincense applied to the body, and also analysed the contents of a glass bottle found next to the grave which contained a mixture of exotic resins.  This remarkable burial is now on public display at an exhibition in the Roman Circus Visitor Centre in Colchester, running for one year from May 16th 2026. Visitors will be able to see the coffin, the remains of the woman and interpretation exploring what archaeology and modern scientific analysis (including the organic residue analyses) can reveal about her life and burial. For more information please visit Colchester Archaeological Trust’s website.

The ORA team was recently invited to present at the symposium ‘Revealing the Past: Analytical Methods in Heritage Science’, an event co-organised by the RSC Analytical Methods Committee and RICHeS (Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science). This comprised a range of talks on the wide range of analytical techniques that can be invoked to further enrich our understanding of heritage collections and materials, from dyes to pesticides to moving image conservation. This was held in the extremely beautiful Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Theatre at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and attended by hundreds in person and online.

Our team presented on ‘The Organic Residue Analysis Workflow: biomarkers, compound-specific stable isotopes and radiocarbon dating’, introducing attendees to the rich information that can be obtained at each of the various stages of analysis, new protocols we have developed, and how this capability can be accessed at the University of Bristol through our external service or the RICHeS Access fund.

Our thanks go to the RSC and RICHeS for hosting the event, the Analytical Methods Trust and the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund for providing support and the Heritage Science Expert working group for their role in organising such a productive and enjoyable day”.

In September 2025 we invited members of the archaeological community to join the ORA team at a showcase event at the University of Bristol. The day comprised talks from Melanie Roffet-Salque, Lucy Cramp, Tim Knowles and Richard Evershed, as well as laboratory tours and a lunchtime poster session. Members of the ORA Advisory Board then met to discuss the strategic development of the enterprise. Our Advisory Board is made up of members from across the archaeological community, representing a broad range of sectors including independent archaeology, museums, commercial archaeology, and Historic England. The meeting provided us with valuable perspectives and discussions, and gave us the opportunity to explore current challenges and help shape future priorities.

Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, and we’d like to thank everyone involved for their engagement.

Housed in the School of Chemistry and the School of Arts at the University of Bristol, the Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) service works with academic and commercial users to address archaeological queries using state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise. Results can help to determine, among other things, ancient vessel use(s), and ancient diet and subsistence practices.

To find out if the ORA team can help with your project, contact us at bris-organicresidueanalysis@bristol.ac.uk.