Our services

The Czech Radiocarbon Laboratory with the international code CRL was established in 2004 as a joint workplace of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Archeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague.

Servises

Radiocarbon dating and carbon-14 analyses using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

Organic residue analysis and compound-specific radiocarbon analysis using gas chromatography (GC) - such as lipids in ceramic or sediments

Stable isotope analysis of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N

Consultations and interpretation of results

Equipment

Since 2013 we have been conducting radiocarbon dating and carbon-14 analysis using AMS method, since 2022 using our own MILEA (Multi-Isotope Low-Energy AMS) instrument from the Swiss company IonPlus. MILEA is a medium-sized device with a working voltage of up to 300 kV.

Other laboratory equipment consist of preparative gas chromatograph Agilent 8890 with FID detector and Gerstel fraction collector for molecular-specific radiocarbon analysis; time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer from Leco for screening and quantification of target compounds in complex matrices; sector spectrometer (ThermoFisher Scientific) for measuring stable isotope ratios connected via ConFlow IV gas interface with SmartFlash elemental analyzer.

Head of the laboratory Ivo Světlík (svetlik@ujf.cas.cz)

Deputy head Kateřina Pachnerová Brabcová (brabcova@ujf.cas.cz)

The laboratory was supported by OP RDE, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the Czech Republic, under the project "„Ultra-trace isotope research in social and environmental studies using accelerator mass spectrometry“, Reg. No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000728.

Policy

For objects of art and cultural heritage, CRL laboratory follows the UNESCO convention and complies with the procedures proposed by the radiocarbon community for the dating of such objects. Prior to the submission of such samples, please contact us and provide a declaration of origin, declaration of ownership and picture of the object.