Orkney Islands Council's Policy and Resources Committee has approved plans for the UHI Orkney Archaeology Institute to redevelop existing assets into the Archaeology and the Environment Science (AEonS) facility, a state-of-the-art environmental archaeology laboratory described as one of only two of its kind in the UK.

The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Arts and Humanities Research Council's (AHRC) Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme, as part of an award totalling nearly £1.6 million.

The laboratories will enable advanced processing of biological materials from archaeological sites, such as ancient soils and sediments, to enhance understanding of past environments and human activity.

A complementary mobile laboratory will support environmental archaeology in the field across Orkney and the wider Highlands & Islands, and will deliver community outreach by travelling to schools and local events.

AEonS is intended to meet a major research need in the Highlands & Islands and across the UK, and will complement UHI Orkney's existing environmental archaeology teaching staff and research students. Although based in Orkney, it will be accessible to visiting researchers, commercial units, UHI students and partners.

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Councillor Gwenda Shearer, Chair of Education, Leisure and Housing, said: "The AEONS facility is a really exciting development for the UHI Archaeology Institute. This funding gives us opportunities we simply didn't have before — from new scientific techniques to fresh partnerships that can deepen our understanding of Orkney's past. It opens the door to so many possibilities, and we can't wait to see what discoveries come from it."

Professor Ingrid Mainland, of the UHI Archaeology institute, said: "Environmental archaeology contributes to our understanding of natural environmental changes and human impact in the past and in looking forward through researching subjects such as biodiversity change, sustainability, economic strategies, rewilding and futureproofing natural resources. However, across the UK expertise and facilities for environmental archaeology research are diminishing, which may lead to generational gaps in this area and a national inability to take such research forward in the future."

Professor Ingrid Mainland added: "The AEONS facility has been established to meet these needs and ensure that skills gaps and shortages are met to provide a sustainable future for Scotland in Environmental Archaeology"

AEonS is a partnership between UHI Orkney (lead partner), Orkney Museums, Historic Environment Scotland, Glasgow University, Archaeology Scotland, the Scotland's Coastal Archaeology and the Problem of Erosion (SCAPE) team based at St Andrew's University, and the University of Southampton.

Launched in October 2024, the RICHeS programme involves £80 million of investment in innovation and research to safeguard heritage for future generations. In its first round, 31 heritage science projects across the UK shared £37 million, with 144 project partners involved.