Bone and tooth collagen extraction for stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating v1

Several collagen extraction protocols are described in the literature, but most lack detailed descriptions of the laboratory manipulations and the specific material used. This collagen extraction protocol described here largely follows Longin's (1971) with a few changes. Shortly; The full bone is demineralised using diluted HCl (0.2 to 0.5M). This is followed by removing humic acids using a short NaOH rinse, and by solubilisation and filtration of the collagen. This protocol aims to provide collagen of appropriate quality for both stable isotope analysis and 14C dating, at a low cost and with a decent duration. This protocol was found to also be suitable, with minor adaptations, to badly preserved samples.