About GeoPast Chronicles

Our Vision

GeoPast Chronicles was established to bridge disciplinary boundaries and advance understanding of how Earth's geological and pedological archives preserve evidence of human history. We envision a research landscape where archaeological interpretation is fundamentally grounded in rigorous geoscientific analysis, and where geological investigations are enriched by awareness of anthropogenic signatures within the stratigraphic record.

Our mission centers on developing and applying analytical methodologies that can extract maximum information from complex deposits. We believe that every soil horizon, every sediment layer, and every weathered surface contains encoded data about past human activities, environmental conditions, and ecosystem dynamics. Through systematic investigation and transparent reporting, we aim to decode these archives and make their insights accessible to both academic researchers and heritage professionals.

Based in Oxford, United Kingdom, we maintain a global research perspective, recognizing that understanding human-environment interactions requires comparative analysis across diverse geographical, climatic, and cultural contexts. Our work contributes to fundamental debates about sustainability, resilience, and long-term environmental change while remaining firmly rooted in empirical observation and testable hypotheses.

Our Expertise

Laboratory Analysis

Advanced analytical capabilities including micromorphology, particle size analysis, geochemistry, phytolith identification, and organic residue characterization using cutting-edge instrumentation and established protocols.

Field Methodologies

Comprehensive field documentation techniques encompassing stratigraphic recording, sediment profiling, systematic sampling strategies, and integration of geophysical survey data with excavation results.

Data Management

Robust digital archiving systems, GIS-based spatial analysis platforms, and relational databases ensuring long-term accessibility, interoperability, and compliance with open science principles.

Knowledge Transfer

Training programs, methodological workshops, and collaborative research initiatives designed to build capacity in geoarchaeological techniques across academic and professional communities.

Chronometric Analysis

Integration of multiple dating techniques including radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and Bayesian chronological modeling to construct robust temporal frameworks.

Environmental Reconstruction

Multi-proxy paleoenvironmental analysis combining pollen, diatoms, stable isotopes, and sedimentological indicators to reconstruct past climates, vegetation, and hydrological regimes.

Partners & Collaborations

Academic Networks

We collaborate extensively with universities, research institutes, and archaeological units across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. These partnerships enable comparative research, methodological innovation, and knowledge exchange that advances the field as a whole.

Heritage Organizations

Our work supports cultural heritage management through consultancy on site preservation, impact assessment of development projects, and contribution to conservation planning based on scientific understanding of deposit formation and degradation processes.

Professional Bodies

Active membership in international scientific societies ensures our methodologies align with evolving best practices and ethical standards. We contribute to professional development through peer review, conference organization, and standards committee participation.

Funding Partners

Research support from national and international funding agencies enables us to pursue ambitious long-term projects addressing fundamental questions about human-environment dynamics across archaeological timescales.

Ethical Standards

GeoPast Chronicles operates according to the highest ethical standards in archaeological and scientific research. We recognize that investigation of the past carries responsibilities to multiple stakeholders including descendant communities, landowners, professional colleagues, and the broader public.

Research Integrity

All research activities adhere to principles of honesty, transparency, and accountability. We maintain detailed documentation of methodologies, ensure reproducibility of results, acknowledge uncertainties in interpretation, and clearly distinguish observation from inference in all publications.

Cultural Sensitivity

We engage respectfully with communities connected to the sites and materials we study, seeking appropriate permissions, recognizing traditional knowledge systems, and ensuring that research outcomes benefit local stakeholders alongside academic audiences.

Environmental Responsibility

Field investigations are designed to minimize environmental impact, comply with relevant regulations, and contribute to sustainable heritage management. We advocate for preservation in situ wherever possible and ensure that destructive sampling is justified by significant research benefits.

Data Stewardship

Research data and materials are curated according to professional standards, ensuring long-term preservation, appropriate access for future research, and compliance with intellectual property and data protection requirements.