Report on Soil Samples from Saugus Ironworks, Saugus, Massachusetts

Author(s): Heather Trigg; Diana Gallagher

Year: 2005

Summary

Six flotation samples and one palynological sample from prehistoric contexts at the Saugus Iron Works site in Massachusetts were submitted to the Fiske Center for macrobotanical and palynological assessment and analysis. The palynological sample's low pollen grain density and high proportion of Liguliforae pollen suggested that attempting an accurate vegetation reconstruction at this site through palynological analysis may be impossible due to weathering and preservation concerns. While preservation concerns also affected the recovery rates of botanical materials from the floatation samples, analysts were able to identify small numbers of economically useful plants such as rasberries(Rubus sp.), hickory nuts (Corylus sp.), and hazelnuts (Carya sp.) and a range of charred wood specimens common to the northeastern United States.

Cite this Record

Report on Soil Samples from Saugus Ironworks, Saugus, Massachusetts. Heather Trigg, Diana Gallagher. Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Cultural Resource Management Study ,14b. 2005 ( tDAR id: 368143) ; doi:10.6067/XCV80K26HF

Keywords

Culture
Late Woodland

Material
Macrobotanical • Pollen

Site Name
Saugus Ironworks

Site Type
Commercial or Industrial Structures • Factory / Workshop • Iron production site

Investigation Types
Environment Research

General
Archaeobotanical Analysis • Palynological Analysis

Geographic Keywords
Massachusetts (State / Territory) • Saugus

Temporal Keywords
Prehistoric

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1000 to 1500

Spatial Coverage

min long: -71.033; min lat: 42.447 ; max long: -70.981; max lat: 42.488 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Ed Morin

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
fiske14b_saugusironworks_archaeobioocr.pdf 648.13kb Oct 10, 2011 2:51:17 PM Public