Archaeological science is a discipline in which scientific techniques are closely integrated with traditional methods and contemporary archaeological theory, resulting in an interdisciplinary approach to the solving of archaeological problems that crosses not only disciplinary boundaries but also the boundaries between faculties. The laboratory is unique in Scandinavia by virtue of its wide focus, including biological, chemical, physical and geological analytical methods applied to the archaeological records from any chronological period or geographical region. Svealand in the Vendel and Viking Periods, Forts and Fortifications in the Mälaren Region AD 400–1100, Gender and Diet during the Neolithic and research into Late Iron Age food culture are among the major research programmes coordinated by the laboratory during the past decade. The work of the Archaeological Research Laboratory, particularly in the field of ancient biomolecules, was crucial for the naming of archaeology as one of the 14 leading research areas within the special competence profile of Stockholm University.