diff --git a/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/analysis_machinery.dm b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/analysis_machinery.dm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0534a43a65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/analysis_machinery.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+obj/machinery/gas_chromatography
+	name = "Gas Chromatography Spectrometer"
+	desc = "A specialised mass spectrometer."
+	icon = 'virology.dmi'
+	icon_state = "analyser"
+
+obj/machinery/gas_chromatography/Topic(href, href_list)
+	if(href_list["close"])
+		usr << browse(null, "window=artanalyser")
+		usr.machine = null
+
+	updateDialog()
+
+obj/machinery/gas_chromatography/attack_hand(var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(stat & (NOPOWER|BROKEN))
+		return
+	user.machine = src
+	var/dat = "<B>Gas Chromatography Spectrometer</B><BR>"
+	dat += "<hr>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];refresh=1'>Refresh<BR>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close<BR>"
+	user << browse(dat, "window=artanalyser;size=450x500")
+	onclose(user, "artanalyser")
+
+obj/machinery/accelerator
+	name = "Accelerator Spectrometer"
+	desc = "A specialised mass spectrometer."
+	icon = 'virology.dmi'
+	icon_state = "analyser"
+
+obj/machinery/accelerator/Topic(href, href_list)
+	if(href_list["close"])
+		usr << browse(null, "window=artanalyser")
+		usr.machine = null
+
+	updateDialog()
+
+obj/machinery/accelerator/attack_hand(var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(stat & (NOPOWER|BROKEN))
+		return
+	user.machine = src
+	var/dat = "<B>Accelerator Spectrometer</B><BR>"
+	dat += "<hr>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];refresh=1'>Refresh<BR>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close<BR>"
+	user << browse(dat, "window=artanalyser;size=450x500")
+	onclose(user, "artanalyser")
+
+obj/machinery/fourier_transform
+	name = "Fourier Transform Spectroscope"
+	desc = "A specialised geochemical analysis device."
+	icon = 'virology.dmi'
+	icon_state = "analyser"
+
+obj/machinery/fourier_transform/Topic(href, href_list)
+	if(href_list["close"])
+		usr << browse(null, "window=artanalyser")
+		usr.machine = null
+
+	updateDialog()
+
+obj/machinery/fourier_transform/attack_hand(var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(stat & (NOPOWER|BROKEN))
+		return
+	user.machine = src
+	var/dat = "<B>Fourier Transform Spectroscope</B><BR>"
+	dat += "<hr>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];refresh=1'>Refresh<BR>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close<BR>"
+	user << browse(dat, "window=artanalyser;size=450x500")
+	onclose(user, "artanalyser")
+
+obj/machinery/radiometric
+	name = "Radiometric Exposure Spectrometer"
+	desc = "A specialised mass spectrometer, able to radiometrically date inserted materials."
+	icon = 'virology.dmi'
+	icon_state = "analyser"
+
+obj/machinery/radiometric/Topic(href, href_list)
+	if(href_list["close"])
+		usr << browse(null, "window=artanalyser")
+		usr.machine = null
+
+	updateDialog()
+
+obj/machinery/radiometric/attack_hand(var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(stat & (NOPOWER|BROKEN))
+		return
+	user.machine = src
+	var/dat = "<B>Radiometric Exposure Spectrometer</B><BR>"
+	dat += "<hr>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];refresh=1'>Refresh<BR>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close<BR>"
+	user << browse(dat, "window=artanalyser;size=450x500")
+	onclose(user, "artanalyser")
+
+obj/machinery/ion_mobility
+	name = "Ion Mobility Spectrometer"
+	desc = "A specialised mass spectrometer."
+	icon = 'virology.dmi'
+	icon_state = "analyser"
+
+obj/machinery/ion_mobility/Topic(href, href_list)
+	if(href_list["close"])
+		usr << browse(null, "window=artanalyser")
+		usr.machine = null
+
+	updateDialog()
+
+obj/machinery/ion_mobility/attack_hand(var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(stat & (NOPOWER|BROKEN))
+		return
+	user.machine = src
+	var/dat = "<B>Ion Mobility Spectrometer</B><BR>"
+	dat += "<hr>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];refresh=1'>Refresh<BR>"
+	dat += "<A href='?src=\ref[src];close=1'>Close<BR>"
+	user << browse(dat, "window=artanalyser;size=450x500")
+	onclose(user, "artanalyser")
diff --git a/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/core_sampler.dm b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/core_sampler.dm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5bd59edc656
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/core_sampler.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+//device to take core samples from mineral turfs - used for various types of analysis
+
+/obj/item/weapon/storage/samplebag
+	name = "sample bag"
+	desc = "A geological sample bag."
+	icon_state = "evidenceobj"
+	w_class = 1
+	max_w_class = 1
+	max_combined_w_class = 7
+	storage_slots = 7
+
+//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler
+	name = "core sampler"
+	desc = "Used to extract geological core samples."
+	icon = 'device.dmi'
+	icon_state = "sampler0"
+	item_state = "screwdriver_brown"
+	w_class = 1.0
+	flags = FPRINT | TABLEPASS
+	//slot_flags = SLOT_BELT
+	var/sampled_turf = ""
+	var/num_stored_bags = 10
+	var/obj/item/weapon/storage/samplebag/filled_bag
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler/New()
+	/*for(var/i=0, i<num_stored_bags, i++)
+		src.contents += new/obj/item/weapon/storage/samplebag(src)*/
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler/attack_hand(var/mob/user)
+	user << "\blue The core sampler is [sampled_turf ? "full" : "empty"], and has [num_stored_bags] sample bag[num_stored_bags != 1] remaining."
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler/attackby(obj/item/weapon/W as obj, mob/user as mob)
+	if(istype(W,/obj/item/weapon/storage/samplebag))
+		if(num_stored_bags < 10)
+			del(W)
+			num_stored_bags += 1
+			user << "\blue You insert the sample bag into the core sampler."
+		else
+			user << "\red The core sampler can not fit any more sample bags!"
+	else
+		return ..()
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler/proc/sample_turf(var/turf/simulated/mineral/T, var/mob/user as mob)
+	if(filled_bag)
+		user << "\red The core sampler is full!"
+	else if(num_stored_bags < 1)
+		user << "\red The core sampler is out of sample bags!"
+	else
+		filled_bag = new /obj/item/weapon/storage/samplebag(src)
+		//sampled_turf = src.type
+		icon_state = "sampler1"
+
+		for(var/i=0, i<7, i++)
+			var/obj/item/weapon/rocksliver/R = new(filled_bag)
+			R.source_rock = T.type
+
+		user << "\blue You take a core sample of the [T]."
+
+/obj/item/device/core_sampler/examine()
+	if (!( usr ))
+		return
+	if(get_dist(src, usr) < 2)
+		usr << "That's \a [src]."
+		usr << "\blue Used to extract geological core samples - this one is [sampled_turf ? "full" : "empty"], and has [num_stored_bags] sample bag[num_stored_bags != 1] remaining."
+	else
+		return ..()
diff --git a/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/geosample.dm b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/geosample.dm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..97cf9a20470
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/geosample.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+
+datum/geosample
+	var/age_thousand = 1					//age can correspond to different artifacts
+	var/age_million = 0
+	var/age_billion = 0
+	var/artifact_id = ""					//id of a nearby artifact, if there is one
+	var/artifact_strength = 0				//proportional to distance
+	var/responsive_reagent = ""				///each reagent corresponds to a different type of find
+	var/reagent_response = ""				//likelihood of there being finds there
+
+datum/geosample/New(var/turf/simulated/mineral/container)
+	UpdateTurf(container)
+
+//this function should only be called once. it's here just in case
+datum/geosample/proc/UpdateTurf(var/turf/simulated/mineral/container)
+	src = null
+	switch(container.mineralName)
+		if("Uranium")
+			age_million = rand(1, 704)
+			age_thousand = rand(1,999)
+		if("Iron")
+			age_thousand = rand(1, 999)
+			age_million = rand(1, 999)
+		if("Diamond")
+			age_thousand = rand(1,999)
+			age_million = rand(1,999)
+		if("Gold")
+			age_thousand = rand(1,999)
+			age_million = rand(1,999)
+			age_billion = rand(3,4)
+		if("Silver")
+			age_thousand = rand(1,999)
+			age_million = rand(1,999)
+		if("Plasma")
+			age_thousand = rand(1,999)
+			age_million = rand(1,999)
+			age_billion = rand(10, 13)
+		if("Archaeo")
+			//speshul
diff --git a/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/tools.dm b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/tools.dm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9dd475dc9fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/modules/research/xenoarchaeology/tools.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/obj/item/device/depth_scanner
+	name = "depth analysis scanner"
+	desc = "Used to check mass spatial depth and density."
+	icon = 'pda.dmi'
+	icon_state = "crap"
+	item_state = "analyzer"
+	w_class = 1.0
+	flags = FPRINT | TABLEPASS
+	//slot_flags = SLOT_BELT
+
+/obj/item/weapon/pickaxe/hand_pick
+	name = "hand pick"
+	icon_state = "excavation"
+	item_state = "minipick"
+	digspeed = 50
+	desc = "A smaller, more precise version of the pickaxe."
+	flags = FPRINT | TABLEPASS
+	w_class = 2.0
+
+/obj/item/weapon/pickaxe/mini_pick
+	name = "mini pick"
+	icon_state = "excavation"
+	item_state = "minipick"
+	digspeed = 60
+	desc = "A miniature excavation tool for precise digging around delicate finds."
+	flags = FPRINT | TABLEPASS
+	w_class = 1.0
+
+//todo: this
+/obj/item/device/beacon_locator
+	name = "locater device"
+	desc = "Used to triangulate position signal emitters."
+	icon = 'device.dmi'
+	icon_state = "pinoff"	//pinonfar, pinonmedium, pinonclose, pinondirect, pinonnull
+	item_state = "electronic"
+	w_class = 1.0