ANALYSIS OF SURFACE POLLEN SAMPLES AND FEATURE PHYTOLITH SAMPLES AT THE SANCHEZ COPPER DATA RECOVERY PROJECT, GRAHAM COUNTY, ARIZONA

Summary

Previous pollen and macrofloral examination of samples from the Sanchez

Copper Data Recovery Project yielded evidence of Gossypium and Zea mays pollen

in several of the archaeological features. Because modern cotton is cultivated

in this area, it was deemed important to understand the distribution of cotton

pollen in this area more fully. Therefore, a series of modern surface samples

were examined for pollen to establish the distance that Gossypium pollen are

expected to be transported in this area, and thus establish a level of confidence

for interpreting the prehistoric pollen record. In addition, features examined

during the first analysis did not yield any evidence of Agave. Since

understanding Agave distribution at these sites, if it was present, is important,

a subset of samples from a selected group of features was examined for phytoliths

in an effort to recover evidence of the presence of Agave.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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