My research interests involve the analysis of archaeological materials. Current research projects include: Characterization of organic binder material in rock paintings; Characterization of 17th century brick and pottery; Radiocarbon dating of rock paintings; Surface analysis of rock painting samples.

Courses Taught at EMU:

Instrumental Analysis (Chem 481 and 381)
Quantitative Analysis (Chem 281)
General Chemistry (Chem 121, 122)
Advanced Analytical Chemistry (Chem 581)
Special Topics: Archaeological Chemistry (Chem 591)

Professional Affiliations:

American Chemical Society, Division of the History of Chemistry, Archaeological Chemistry Subdivision
Sigma Xi
Society for Archaeological Sciences
Phi Lambda Upsilon

Selected Publications:

"Surface Analysis of a Black Coating from Little Lost River Cave, Idaho" R. Perumplavil and R.A. Armitage. In Archaeological Chemistry: Analytical Techniques and Archaeological Interpretation, M. Glascock, Ed. ACS Symposium Series, Washington D.C. In press, 2006.

"Characterization of Building materials from the Brick Chapel at Historic St. Mary's City" R.A. Armitage, L. Minc, S.D. Hurry and M. Doolin. In Archaeological Chemistry: Analytical Techniques and Archaeological Interpretation, M. Glascock, Ed. ACS Symposium Series, Washington D.C. In press, 2006.

"Pyrolysis GC/MS and THM-GC/MS Studies of a Black Coating from Little Lost River Cave, Idaho". S. fezzey and R.A. Armitage. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 78 (2006): 24-33.

"Characterization of Bricks and Tiles from 17^th-Century Maryland" R.A. Armitage, L. Minc, D.V. Hill and S.D. Hurry in Proceedings of the 34^th International Symposium on Archaeometry, J. Perez-Arantequi, Ed. Institucion (Fernando el Catolico): Zaragoza, Spain, 2006, pp 387-392.

"Characterization of Bricks and Tiles from 17^th-Century Brick Chapel, St. Mary's City, Maryland" R.A. Armitage, L. Minc, D.V. Hill and S.D. Hurry. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33 (2006): 615-627.

"Fem Cave Rock Paintings at Lava Beds National Monument, California: Not the 1054 A.D. Supernova" R.A. Armitage, M. Hyman, M.W. Rowe, J.R. Southon and C. Barat in Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy: Conversations Across Time and Space, J.W. Fountain and R.M. Sinclair, Eds. Carolina Academic Press, Durham, NC, 2005.