A Pollen Analysis of a Hudson's Bay Company Non-garden Provenience, Fort Vancouver, Washington.

The Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted a palynological analysis on six contiguous soil samples that were collected from the Fort Vancouver site. The samples were recovered from a location associated with the Hudson Bay Company's occupation that is situated in close proximity to what is today Fort Vancouver's Visitors Center, which is scheduled to undergo extensive renovations in the near future (Dorset 2010 Pers. Comm.). In particular, the selected sample collection site is of a non-garden provenience, located east of a circa 1849 wheat field (Dorset
2010 Pers. Comm.). Not much is known as to how the Hudson Bay Company utilized this space; nonetheless, after their occupation the collection site's former landscape underwent numerous modifications. From the mid to late 19th century the site served first as the location of the U. S. Army Vancouver Arsenal, then after 1878, the Department of Columbia reconfigured the area with roads and constructed new buildings while moving others; the buildings were removed with
the Department's abolishment around 1913 and ultimately the site was left open and vacant (Dorset 2010 Pers. Comm.).
The goal of the current pollen study of the non-garden provenience is twofold. The
results of this examination are desired chiefly for comparisons to findings of a previous pollen analysis of soil samples that were collected from various locations associated with the Fort Vancouver "garden-testing area" (see Jacobucci 2008). Archaeologists are eager to see what vegetation differences exist between the two contexts which would allow us to characterize a garden context. Also archaeologists hope the analysis of the non-garden provenience would
provide information as to how the Hudson Bay Company utilized this space. In particular, this study attempts to identify the types of vegetation that existed on the collection site before the Hudson Bay Company's occupation, specifically if the area was formerly a meadow or tree covered, and when the agricultural field to the west of the collection site was developed. This current pollen analysis addresses these issues and augments the archaeological and historical records of Fort Vancouver.

马萨诸塞大学波士顿分校（University of Massachusetts Boston）的安德鲁·菲斯克纪念考古研究中心（Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research）对从温哥华堡（Fort Vancouver）遗址采集的6块连续土壤样本开展了孢粉分析（palynological analysis）。上述样本采集自与哈德逊湾公司（Hudson Bay Company）占领区域相关的地点，该地点紧邻如今的温哥华堡游客中心，该游客中心近期计划进行大规模翻新（Dorset 2010，私人通信）。具体而言，所选采样点的出土背景（provenience）为非菜园区域，位于约1849年小麦田以东（Dorset 2010，私人通信）。

目前学界对哈德逊湾公司如何利用该区域所知甚少；不过在其占领结束后，该采样点所在的原地貌经历了多次改造。19世纪中后期，该场地先后作为美国陆军温哥华兵工厂（U. S. Army Vancouver Arsenal）的驻地；1878年后，哥伦比亚军区（Department of Columbia）对该区域进行了道路修整与新建建筑工程，并迁移了原有建筑。1913年左右该军区撤销后，所有建筑被拆除，场地最终沦为开阔空地（Dorset 2010，私人通信）。

本次针对非菜园区域的孢粉研究有双重目标。其一，期望将本次分析结果与此前针对温哥华堡"菜园试验区"各点位采集的土壤样本所开展的孢粉分析结果进行对比（参见Jacobucci 2008）。考古学者期望通过对比两种场景下的植被差异，以明确菜园场景的特征。其二，本次研究希望通过对非菜园区域的分析，探明哈德逊湾公司对该区域的利用方式。具体而言，本研究旨在识别哈德逊湾公司占领前该采样点的植被类型，尤其是该区域此前是否为草甸或林地，以及采样点西侧农田的开发时间。本次孢粉分析正是为解决上述问题而开展，同时也丰富了温哥华堡的考古与历史记录。