The pretreatment of non-cremated bone samples starts with the extraction of collagen, which is the material that is dated.Assessment of quality is supported by visual observation of the collagen and its extraction.If you require ultrafiltration, please contact us before sending your samples.
– It is important to understand the pretreatment applied to samples since they directly affect the final result.
For bones, we provide conventional collagen extraction techniques and subsequent ultrafiltration methods if requested.
Any rootlets present will be removed when replenishing the acid solutions.
At this stage, the lab will perform a thorough visual inspection of the collagen quality.
– Fees are inclusive of d13C measurements, d15N measurements (except cremated bones), quality assurance reports, calendar calibration when applicable, and 24/7 web access to past results and pending analyses.
Additional fee is charged for collagen or bone carbonate extraction.
However, the material will be listed as “organics” in the final report instead of “bone collagen.” This is due to the requirement by our ISO/IEC 17005 accreditation that if we did not perform the chemical pretreatments and/or extractions, we cannot specifically testify as to the material that was dated because certain steps affecting the sample quality have been outside of our control and scope of our accreditation.
Do not place extracted collagen directly into Ziplock bags.
Bones that have been drilled or powdered prior to submission must be cleaned of any adhering or invasive contamination prior to the drilling or powdering.