POLLEN, STARCH, MACROFLORAL, PROTEIN RESIDUE, AND INFRA-RED ANALYSIS AT SITE 5LA5840, SOUTHEAST COLORADO

Summary

In 2001, a bulk sediment sample from a burned rock (hearth) midden at site 5LA5840 in

southeast Colorado was examined for pollen, starches, and macrofloral remains. This midden

is located adjacent to Rockshelter 1 and contains lithic debitage, a few burned bone fragments,

ceramic sherds, and a large amount of fire-cracked rock. A knife from the burned rock midden

also was analyzed for possible protein residues to determine animal resources that might have

been processed with the knife. In 2007, an additional pollen and two macrofloral samples were

submitted for analysis. These samples were collected within Layer 2 of the midden during the

summer of 2006. Pollen, starch, and macrofloral analyses are used to provide information

concerning plant resources available to and utilized by the site occupants. Four ceramic sherds

were selected for infra-red analysis using an FTIR to identify foods that might have been cooked

in the vessels represented by these sherds.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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