POLLEN, STARCH, PHYTOLlTH, MACROFLORAL, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS FOR THE DAYTON CANYON ESTATES PROJECT, SITE CA-LAN-254, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Summary

Artifacts from burial and burnt rock features at site CA-LAN-254 in southern California were

analyzed for pollen, starches, phytoliths, and/or protein residues. Botanic remains picked from

floated soil samples also were submitted for identification. This site is located near the city of

Chatsworth in inland Los Angeles County, on the border with Ventura County. It is a large

residential base with an extensive burnt rock midden, abundant roasting pits, and an associated

Native American cemetery. Diagnostic artifacts and radiocarbon analysis indicate that the site

dates to the Millingstone period, between 2,000 and 6,000 years B.P. Vegetal foods appears to

have been the focus of subsistence activities at the site. Millingstone is common, and roasting pits

are hypothesized to have been used for preparing yucca. Pollen/starch, phytolith, and protein

residue analysis of the ground stone assemblage will be used to help determine types of resources

processed at the site, especially in the stone mortars. Flaked stone tools were analyzed for

possible protein residues to provide information concerning possible plants and/or animal resources

processed/hunted with these tools. Types of plant resources processed and types of wood burned

as fuel also can be determined by identification of charred botanic remains from floated feature fill.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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