From palynolo@GEO.ARIZONA.EDUTue Apr 29 15:40:17 1997 Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 10:38:16 -0700 From: Owen Davis Reply to: Research in Quaternary Science To: QUATERNARY@MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA Subject: Archaeological Palynology Some recent contract work has caused me to reconsider the whole issue of "pollen washes" as a tool for reconstructing artefact use. (1) BACKGROUND: archaeological palynologists frequently analyze the pollen cleaned from the surface of ground-stone artefacts. The earliest references I know of are Bohrer (1968), Hevley (1964) and Schoenwetter (1962). (2) INTERPRETATION: as simply put by Vaughn Bryant (Bryant & Morris, 1986, p.491), "The high percentages of fossil _Typha_, _Zea_, and Cheno-Am pollen undoubtedly result mainly from the grinding of seeds into meal." (3) REQUEST: below are some references. If anyone can come up with good examples (particularly published ones) of useful information from "pollen washes" I'd be grateful. Adams, K. R. and Gasse, R. E. 1980. Plant microfossils from archaeological sites: research considerations and sampling techniques and approaches. The Kiva 45:293-300. Bohrer, V. L. 1968 Paleoecology of a site near Snow Flake, Arizona. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Arizona. Bryant, V. M, Jr. and Morris, D. P. 1986. Uses of ceramic vessels and grinding implements: the pollen evidence. Pp. 489-500 IN: D. P. Morris (ed.) Archeological investigations at Antelope House. National Park Service Publications in Archaeology 19. Hevley, R. H. 1964 Pollen analysis of Quaternary archaeological and lacustrine sediments from the Colorado Plateau. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Arizona. Schoenwetter, J. 1962. Pollen analysis of eighteen archaeological sites in Arizona and New Mexico. pp, 168-209. IN: P.S. Martin and others. Chapters in the prehisotry of eastern Arizona, I. Fieldiana: Anthropology 53 Owen K. Davis, Professor 520 621-7953 Department of Geosciences FAX 621-2672 University of Arizona palynolo@geo.arizona.edu Tucson, Arizona 85721 http://geo.arizona.edu/palynology