POLLEN ANALYSIS FOR THE COCO PALMS SITE, KAUA’I, HAWAII

Summary

A few sediment samples from Trench 40 and Core 2, outside a fishpond at the Coco

Palms Site on Kaua’i, were examined for pollen and microcharcoal to provide information

concerning use of this area during the past. Since the sediments were collected outside the

fishpond, which had been dredged, they might represent earlier fishpond deposits from a time

when the fishpond was larger than it is today. Radiocarbon ages returned for several samples

indicate an age of 1440-1640 A.D. associated with sample 1 from Trench 40, and ages of 1300-1400 A.D. and 530-650 A.D. associated with Core 2. Pollen analysis was undertaken to search

for a clear, discrete change in plants represented. A change from a pollen record reflecting

native plants to one dominated by sedges and grasses should result from burning local

vegetation and in association with swidden agriculture. Two samples were selected from

Trench 40 and three from Core 2 to examine the pollen record. In addition, two surface

samples were provided for comparison, but not included in the budget. Therefore, these

surface samples were examined in a very cursory manner, since there was no money allocated

for their analysis.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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