POLLEN, STARCH, MACROFLORAL, AND CORN COB ANALYSES AT THE KUCK SITE (5RB3157), RIO BLANCO COUNTY, COLORADO

Summary

Pollen analysis of samples from Kuck Rock Shelter, site 5RB3157, in northwestern

Colorado focuses on examination of hearths, ash pits, a mano, and several clay chinking

fragments. This study provides a base framework for examination of prehistoric vegetation and

Fremont resource use through pollen analysis. Macrofloral samples were examined from the lower

fill of a clay-lined hearth to identify economic activity associated with this feature. A single pollen

sample was collected from the use surface to the east of the hearth to provide information

concerning food processing activities. Information provided in this study will serve to guide future

archaeological and archaeobotanical work at the Kuck Shelter. In addition, two Zea mays cobs

were recovered near a bark mat and from an ash stain and submitted for analysis. In addition to

the standard physical description of the cobs, innovative morphometric analysis of the opal

phytoliths present in these cobs was conducted to provide information concerning the shape

characteristics of phytoliths produced in Fremont maize cobs. These silica bodies survive burning

without distortion and can be recovered from the cobs and a population measured. This population

is considered a proxy for the genetic signature of the race of corn. At present, data is being

gathered to provide numeric signatures that identify individual races of maize or corn. This study

provides the numeric signature for these two cobs in an effort to help build a data base for Fremont

corn.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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Contact(s): PaleoResearch Institute

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