POLLEN, PHYTOLlTH, STARCH, MACROFLORAL, CHARCOAL, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM THE EASTERN MARKET BRANCH, MARINE BARRACKS III, WASHINGTON DC

Summary

Pollen, starch, phytolith, macrofloral, and protein residue analyses were undertaken on sediment samples from the eastern branch of an historic market in an area known as "Marine Barracks III in Washington, D.C. This portion of the market place was excavated and sampled for botanic remains and animal proteins during December of 2001. A portion of a brick sidewalk was noted along the outside of the market in the northern portion of the East Arm. Each stall appears to be separated from its neighbor by a pier. If the intervening areas were open, at least from approximately waist height up, goods could be sold by the vendor standing inside. In this scenario, debris from the foods sold should accumulate inside the stalls, between the piers. Companion pollen, starch, phytolith, macrofloral, and protein residue samples were collected from sediments inside market stalls where vendors probably stood to conduct their business. Sampling locations were selected based on visible architecture, including piers, and sediment types. In areas where sandy deposits were noted, another suite of samples was collected from the upper portion of the underlying clay to determine whether the remains stayed in the porous sands or moved downward through the more porous sediments and settled in the upper portion of the more impervious clay. One wood sample was collected from a post mold where wood was visible.

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• PaleoResearch Institute

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