Abstract

The University of Washington Luminescence Laboratory is a uinique and valuable resource for graduate and undergraduate student research in archaeology, geology, and materials science. Limitations on essential equipment, however, make it difficult for an increasing number of student users to perform analyses essential to their individual research projects. This proposal seeks to remedy this situation by acquiring a new, state-of-the-art luminescence reader to be housed in the UW Luminescence Lab for student use. The acquisition of this machine will double the current analytical capabilities of the lab, and will alleviate the current scheduling pressure on the single machine presently available for similar applications. Access to the machine will be supervised by Dr. James Feathers, the director of the lab and a well-known luminescence expert, and all UW students with an interest in luminescence applications will be able to use this machine. Importantly, this includes a host of graduate and undergraduate students already vying for access to the currently constrained resources of the lab.

Background

Issues of age are of central concern to archaeologists and geologists, and research questions basic to these disciplines cannot be addressed without control over chronology. While there are many known methods for obtaining chronometric control, in recent years luminescence dating has emerged as among the most powerful of these methods due to improved measurement technology and a broadening of the materials that can be dated using luminescence. At present, sediments, lithics, ceramics, and architectural materials can be accurately dated using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and thermoluminescence (TL), making luminescence methods of great value to researchers in the disciplines of archaeology and geology. Because the method essentially measures radiation damage as a function of time, it is also of use to materials scientists.


The University of Washington Luminescence Laboratory is widely recognized as a world leader in the application of OSL to research in archaeology and geology. This position of prestige is the product of three factors. First, the directorship of Dr. James Feathers gives the lab a rare degree of intellectual expertise in the realm of luminescence. Second, the single Riso luminescence reader currently used by the lab is state-of-the-art, and is capable of making measurements on multiple sample types with a degree of precision impossible only a few years ago. Third, researchers from multiple disciplines actively use the equipment and expertise available at the lab to generate new insights into problems on the cutting edge of scientific inquiry. Student researchers currently use the lab for numerous archaeological and geological projects in various parts of the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Mongolia, Peru, England, France, Italy, China, Corsica, Russia, Japan, Tibet, Taiwan, East Timor, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, and South Africa. The combination of these three factors has given the UW Luminescence Lab a reputation for excellence that is well deserved.


Because of this reputation for excellence and the increasing interest among academics in these methods, the measurement equipment currently available at the UW Luminescence Lab has become extremely difficult to access for student research. The primary problem is caused by the fact that there is abundant equipment available to prepare samples, but only one Riso reader machine capable of performing the sophisticated measurements needed. As more geology and archaeology students are vying for time with the lone Riso machine, scheduling has become an issue to the extent that it now takes several months at minimum to gain sufficient access to this integral piece of equipment. This bottleneck therefore greatly increases the time it takes to process samples to completion. This, of course, inhibits the rate with which all luminescence research is conducted here at UW, but it is particularly cumbersome for students, for two reasons. First, the lab is under very real pressure from paying clients to complete the analysis of samples submitted by outside researchers. This means that the research interests of local students, which are often more exploratory in nature, often take a back seat in terms of scheduling. Second, this scheduling difficulty hits students particularly hard, because students typically have constraints on the length of time they can invest in a research project due to the restrictions of their curricula. This is especially the case for undergraduates engaging in honors projects, who may not be able to pursue a luminescence project due to restrictions on time, but it is also a large problem for many graduate student projects. For this reason, it will be of great benefit to graduates and undergraduates alike to acquire a second Riso luminescence reader system so that these students can have access to the valuable intellectual resources available here at UW through a piece of equipment specifically designated for student use.

Benefits

This equipment will benefit students by greatly increasing student access to a unique UW resource. The UW Luminescence Lab is currently the only operational lab in the western hemisphere that features both a Riso single-grain reader and the analysis of archaeological materials. (The handful of other labs equipped with this machine focus on geological research exclusively.) Access to this machine is therefore of great potential benefit to all students interested in pursuing both archaeological and geological courses of study, since experience with luminescence methods at UW will provide these students with valuable skills beyond what other American and Canadian universities can offer. At present, however, access to this single machine cannot keep pace with demand, since samples can be prepared faster than they can be measured on the reader. This creates a situation in which samples must wait long periods to undergo final measurement and analysis, and student samples that could be done in weeks usually take months to complete as a result. This time lag is a great hindrance to students’ ability to utilize the lab, and this can be remedied with the addition of a second fully-equipped Riso reader.


GRADUATE STUDENT BENEFITS

There are currently 38 graduate students in the archaeology program, each of whom has some training in luminescence methods, and many of whom have active research involvement in the lab at present. This is in addition to the dozens of geology graduate students active at UW, many of whom currently perform research analysis in the Luminescence Lab. Because chronological control is so central to research in these disciplines, many of those archaeology and geology graduate students not actively using the lab at present will likely utilize this machine at some point in their UW research careers. With increased student access and less wait time, larger data sets can be generated more quickly, allowing advanced students to quickly respond to the basic challenges of constantly evolving research projects in various settings throughout the world. Beginning students will also benefit, because preliminary data can be obtained, processed, and mobilized in a timely fashion so that burgeoning fieldwork opportunities can be pursued and completed with greater efficiency. In addition, both beginning and advanced graduate students will be able to utilize their access to this machine to embark on data-intensive research projects not currently feasible given the present tension between data integrity and machine scheduling.


UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT BENEFITS

Hundreds of UW undergraduates study archaeology or geology every year. A significant percentage of these students are exposed to the concept of luminescence dating in the classroom, but are unaware that the UW is a world leader in this method. This is largely due to the fact that lab resources are limited, and undergraduate access in particular is difficult due to the tight scheduling of lab machinery. Those undergraduates interested in involving the Luminescence Lab in independent study or honors projects are particularly impacted, because time constraints on their projects prevent significant analysis given machine backup. Many students express interest in such research, but are robbed of the opportunity by equipment limitations. A student-specific reader will allow these students to be fully exposed to luminescence methods by embarking on research projects of their own.

Student Access

All UW students with an interest in studying or applying luminescence methods will have access to this equipment. Because this equipment will be be housed in the existing laboratory in Raitt Hall due to the delicacy and light-sensitive nature of the materials, access privileges must be arranged by each student. These arrangements can be made by contacting Dr. James Feathers, the director of the UW Luminescence Lab. Priority will be given to students with a research project that involves luminescence methods.

Available Resources

The UW Luminescence Lab has all of the necessary resources to integrate this machine immediately upon arrival into successful student research projects. These resources are divided into two categories: personnel and facilities.


PERSONNEL

The expertise of Dr. Feathers in luminescence methods is the foremost resource of the lab, and his aid will be essential in the use and maintenance of this equipment. In addition, many archaeology graduate students and geology graduate students have already been trained in the preparation and measurement of laboratory samples, including the use of a machine identical to the one requested. Numerous undergraduates are also trained in these methods and currently work in the lab, either on work-study or on independent study projects. The lab is therefore well staffed with people to aid in the use of the requested equipment, and many potential users already have the knowledge needed to use this equipment on their own.


FACILITIES

In regards to space, there is ample room in the lab for this equipment to be situated and utilized. In regards to supporting equipment, the lab currently has all the necessary instrumentation to process and prepare all samples to be measured on this machine, including a fume hood, multiple alpha-radiation counters, a beta-radiation counter, a potassium flame photometer, a solar simulator, centrifuges, preparatory chemicals, and mechanical sieves. In addition, the lab currently houses an older Daybreak II luminescence reader (now useful only for ceramics), a Riso reader identical to the requested model, and computers required to script and analyze the measurement sequences on these machines. There is thus a full compliment of necessary facilities to support the requested equipment, and the addition of this equipment would in fact nearly double the output potential of the lab itself.

Installation Timeline

The requested equipment is extremely technologically advanced and can only be manufactured at one location in Denmark. As such, it must be custom made and rigorously tested before it can be put into use. The process of manufacture and testing will begin immediately after the money is received and the order placed, and it usually takes about a year for shipment and installation to occur. Thus, it will take about one year for this equipment to be put into use at the University of Washington.

Departmental Endorsement

Dr. James K. Feathers, Research Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology.
As the director of the laboratory in which this equipment will be housed, I
fully support funding of the proposal. Luminescence dating has become
increasingly popular for dating archaeological and geological samples. The
laboratory is currently running at full capacity. In fact, demand for our
dating service is so high we have a substantial backlog of samples, extending
our turn-around time by several months. We also have increasing demand from
students, particularly in archaeology and geology, to process dating samples for
their research projects, but unfortunately we have an increasingly hard time
finding machine time for them to complete their work. This equipment will allow
us to dedicate machine time to student research, expanding the resources and
training opportunities available to students.



Dr. Julie K. Stein, Director, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.
The luminescence lab is used by many graduate and undergraduate students
in their research, and acquiring the reader described in this proposal
would benefit those students by doubling the speed for their analysis.
This is important research for the archaeological discipline, and
important to the students in many departments. I recommend you fund this proposal.


Dr. Miriam Kahn, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology. I wholeheartedly endorse this proposal for a much-needed luminescence reader for student research. With the addition of this equipment, the highly regarded and extremely successful luminescence laboratory (which at the UW has been used by students from the departments of anthropology, geology and materials science) will be able to increase its level of productivity by doubling the speed of analysis. This will allow students to gain greater access to the equipment and use the lab for expanding their own research.


Dr. Marcos Llobera, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology. I strongly encourage this proposal. The UW Luminesence Lab has a long tradition of
excellent work. It is currently the only luminescence lab in the country that
specializes in archaeological projects though it is not exclusively used for
these projects. It is an invaluable resource for teaching and training students
who are able to get hands-on experience and address questions that are central
to archaeology but which are not often handled by archaeologists. As part of a
research institution the lab is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is
achievable through new technical breakthroughs which often involve the direct
participation of students. For all of these reasons I am happy to endorse this
proposal.


Dr. Ben Fitzhugh, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology. Chronometric dating is a critical component of all archaeological research.
Luminescence techniques have become a critical tool for many issues in dating
archaeological monuments, artifacts, and sediments. Because of this fact and the
increasing analytical capabilities of the suite of luminescence techniques now
available, the few labs in the country are having to deal with large backlogs of
samples to date for projects all around the world. Our students have a fabulous
opportunity to learn the techniques and process dates in our Luminescence Lab
run by Dr. Feathers. In the process they have grown increasingly interested in
developing projects of their own but have run into difficulty getting machine
time to proces their own samples and advance their own research (the lab is a
contract lab and processes hundreds of samples a week for outside clients). It
will be excellent to have analytical equipment dedicated to student projects,
and will make luminescence a much more viable technique for our students. I
fully support this proposal!

Student Endorsement

Roger Kiers, Graduate Student, Anthropology.
Luminescence dating is a critical component of my dissertation research, which
is examining the early to middle Holocene period of western Washington
prehistory. The types of sites that I am studying have not been adequately
dated, due to a lack of material suitable for traditional radiocarbon dating
methods. As a result, the early period of Washington State prehistory is poorly
understood. I am endeavoring to address this issue through the application of
luminescence dating techniques to sites of this type. This research will
require significant time in the luminescence dating laboratory, and the lack of
sufficient equipment will considerably lengthen the time to completion of my
degree. I highly endorse this proposal.


S. Colby Phillips, Graduate Student, Anthropology.
The luminescence equipment being requested in this proposal will be
indispensible to UW students who are conducting research in a number of
disciplines including archaeology, geology, and materials sciences. The UW is
one of the few places in the world where thermoluminescence dating is conducted,
and unlike many labs at UW, the Thermoluminescence Lab is completely
self-supporting. The addition of this equipment will allow UW students to
continue to learn about and apply this unique technology.


Amit Mushkin, Graduate Student, Earth and Space Sciences. I am writing this in strong support the proposal to acquire a new
Riso luminescence reader for student use at Dr. Feathers' luminescence dating
lab. My Ph.D. thesis at the Department of Earth and Space Sciences is focused on
Quaternary deformation of the Gobi-Altay fault system in southwestern Mongolia
and I am collaborating with Dr. Feathers' lab in constraining the age of
tectonically offset surfaces in order to characterize the timing and rates of
geological deformation in my study area. Single-grain, optically stimulated
luminescence (OSL) dating at Dr. Feathers lab is pivotal to my thesis and the acquisition of this
new machine will enable me to preform the required measurements I need in order to successfully complete my thesis research.


Stephanie Jolivette, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The Luminesence Lab is one of the most important resources available to students
in the Department of Anthropology. My research in the Hawaiian Islands, where
traditional radiocarbon techniques have been problematic, would greatly benefit
from the use of luminescence dating techniques. I have been nervous about
incorporating such techniques into my dissertation because of the lag time for
getting samples processed in the lab. The purchase of a new luminescence reader
for the lab, specificially earmarked for student use, could drastically reduce
the wait time for student sample processing and allow more graduate students,
and undergraduates, to conduct personal research projects in a more timely
manner. I fully endorse this grant proposal for a new luminescence reader.


Amanda Taylor, Graduate Student, Anthropology. A second luminescence reader for student use would greatly speed up work in the luminescence lab. As a student who has
worked in the lab, I realize how critical it is for all of the parts of the
complicated process of TL and OSL dating to run smoothly. This new equipment
will prevent back-ups from occurring at the end of the process. The
luminescence lab is something that makes this program unique, and I strongly
endorse a purchase that will allow more student access to it.


Jack Johnson, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The primary focus of my research has been to develop ways to utilize luminescence to date ancient Peruvian temples, and thus the resources available at the luminescence lab have formed a cornerstone of my academic career to date. This research would be impossible anywhere else in the western hemisphere, but it has lagged because of the backlog on the single Riso reader available. I would therefore benefit greatly from a new machine devoted specifically to processing my (and other students') samples. In addition, I know many other students in both archaeology and geology use the lab regularly and would benefit from enhanced laboratory resources. I strongly endorse this proposal.


Shelby Anderson, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The UW luminescence lab is one of only a few in the country and access to this
resource provides students with unique research opportunities in archaeology and
other disciplines. The addition of a new luminescence reader to the lab will
speed the process of analysis, making it possible for more students to date more
samples using luminescence dating techniques. As an archaeology graduate
student, I have had the opportunity to date samples in the luminescence lab and
can see that the current equipment cannot keep up with the student demand for
luminescence dating. I strongly support this proposal for new luminescence
dating equipment.


Rebecca Kessler, Graduate Student, Anthropology. I am at the stage fo my academic career where I am beginning to develop my
research. This requires me to do exploratory data analysis of basic
chronological issues in order to create a research strategy that will carry me
through my dissertation. In doing this, it is important to have the ability to
quickly process luminescence samples. Therefore, this equipment will be a great
help to the timely iniation of my research and will likely be a significant
component of my longterm research design. I strongly endorse this proposal.


Haiying Zhang, Graduate Student, Anthropology. I am running 3 TL samples for my own research this quarter. My experience is
that the lab has a really tight schedule mostly due to the fact that we do not
have enough equipment for student research use. Therefore, most of the time I have
to wait months until the machine is ready. I highly endorse the proposal for a new
luminescence reader so we can get our analysis done quickly and efficiently.


Jenn Huff, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The Luminescence Lab is an amazing resource for archaeology students as well as
many other students who deal with questions of deep time. For example, thermoluminescence and
optically stimulated luminescence dating is crucial to understanding deposits
millions of years old that hold the secrets to profound evolutionary questions of modern human origins. A lab like the Luminescence Lab is an outstanding
resource for students of archaeology and for the larger university community.
This lab is unique in the Western hemisphere in the sophistication of the
analyses it makes available to archaeology students. High-tech labs such as the
Luminescence Lab are the resources that make programs and universities world
leaders. My personal research interests lie in areas that require understanding
the archaeological record beyond the capacity of radiocarbon dating. Only
strategies such as optically stimulated luminescence and thermoluminescence
offer the ability to provide the data I need. This lab should be recognized as
an amazing asset for the University of Washington, contributing significantly
towards our status as a world-class institution, and supported accordingly. I
fully endorse the proposal for the new Riso machine.


Erik Gjesfjeld, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The luminescence dating laboratory provides an invaluable tool for
archaeologists interested in producing advanced research and analysis.
Luminescence dating represents one the most accurate and precise dating
methods available to archaeologists and quaternary scientists. The current
luminescence dating laboratory operated by Dr. James Feathers provides
students with opportunities to learn the basics of the luminescence dating
method. However, a student-operated dating machine would provide critical
priority access for advanced graduate level research. In addition, the luminescence lab contributes significantly to the overall reputation of the
archaeology department and a luminescence dating machine like the one
proposed would provide the ability the increase that reputation through greater
student access. My own research would benefit greatly from increased access to
a dating machine, and such access will also give me critical job skills for the future. I
strongly endorse this proposal.


Jacob Fisher, Graduate Student, Anthropology. I strongly support this STF proposal. Recently, I have become interested in
obtaining OSL dates from groundstone artifacts in California. This extension of this method to this class of artifacts has never been attempted, and would be highly experimental in nature. Unfortunately, such
cutting edge research is greatly impeded by the limited time available
on the current OSL equipment. The proposed equipment will allow archaeology
students to successfully pursue such high risk research interests in the future by lowering the premium on access to analytical equipment.


James Taylor, Graduate Student, Anthropology. The addition of an STF funded luminescence reader will greatly
facilitate lab based research towards my PhD dissertation. I plan to use
luminescence dating of archaeological materials collected from an upcoming three
year project in the Kuril Islands, Russian Far East. Because I will require data to be processed from collected samples in less than 6 months so that planning for the following year's field work can begin, I find myself in an impossible situation. The use of currently
available equipment will not allow me to get the data I need quickly enough, and outsourcing these samples would be too expensive. This is because the average turnaround time
is currently more than a year through the UW's overtaxed facility, and sending
materials off-site for dating will be beyond my current budgetary means.
Having a machine dedicated solely for student use will ensure that I have
the ability to complete my dissertation work in a timely manner.

Items

Below are the items making up the current proposal. The asterisk (*) beside items signify that they were approved by the committee. This however was not implemented correctly for our database before 2005, so earlier years may not show this.

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