The department of Archaeology at Durham University houses the Durham Luminescence dating Laboratory (DLL). It was first established in 1983 and has developed considerable experience in dating a wide range of archaeological and sedimentary materials from around the world. The laboratory has a long-established international research profile; the scope of recent work includes both applications to archaeological samples and fundamental investigation of natural mineral luminescence. This research informs the methods applied in the service facility and our current interests include the dating of:

• Sedimentary deposits (from archaeological sites, or sediments in fluvial, glacio-fluvial, periglacial, or aeolian contexts)

• Medieval buildings (brick, mortar)

• Dating stone surfaces of monuments and masonry

• Earliest manufacture of pottery