POLLEN, MACROFLORAL, PHYTOLlTH, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS AT SITE 42GR3222, MOAB, UTAH

Summary

Site 42GR3222 in the town of Moab, Utah, was discovered during 2002 construction

activities for the city of Moab's Tusher Storm Drain project. This site is believed to represent a

stratified habitation site dating to the Basketmaker II period. Features found at the site include

a midden, two large bell-shaped pits, a smaller possible storage pit, a possible hearth, a burned

pit structure with several internal features and a human burial, a possible pit structure, and a

rock-lined pit. Pollen and/or macrofloral samples were examined from the large bell-shaped

storage pits (Features 2 and 7/8), the smaller oval-shaped possible storage pit (Feature 3), the

possible hearth (Feature 5), the pit structure (Feature 6), several of its internal features, and the

rock-lined pit (Feature 10) to provide information concerning plant resources that might have

been utilized by the occupants of this site. Two corn cob fragments from the fill of one of the

large bell-shaped storage pits (Feature 7/8) were examined for phytoliths to provide a numeric

signature that can inform concerning race of maize grown, and also to provide a signature

indicating the environmental conditions under which the maize was grown. A biface blade from

the fill of this storage pit and a projectile point from the pit structure floor were washed to

recover possible protein residues. Protein residue analysis of artifact surfaces can provide

information concerning resources that were hunted/processed with the tools.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• PaleoResearch Institute

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