POLLEN, PHYTOLITH, STARCH, AND ORGANIC RESIDUE ANALYSIS (FTIR) FOR SITES 23LE348, 23LE178/357 AND 23CK57, AVENUE OF THE SAINTS PROJECT, MISSOURI

Ceramics and soil samples, as well as a single flaked lithic artifact, were submitted for
pollen, starch, phytolith and/or organic residue analysis (FTIR) from three sites (23LE348,
23LE179/357, 23CK57) associated with the Avenue of the Saints Project (AOS), located in both
Lewis and Clark Counties, northeastern Missouri. The AOS archaeological survey has
uncovered a multitude of prehistoric sites with Late Archaic, Woodland, and historic cultural
affiliations. PRI has previously analyzed samples from several of these sites, including
archaeoclimatic modeling and paleoenvironmental analysis for sites 23LE327 (Cummings and
Eksambekar 2005), 23CK57 (Cummings 2008), 23LE174 (Cummings, et al. 2007), and
23CK302 (Cummings, et al. 2007). For this current analysis, samples submitted are associated
with cultural components that span a period from Middle Woodland to Historic occupation
periods. The results of this analysis may provide a better understanding of food resources
utilized, and in the case of the pollen and phytolith analysis, may also provide a highly localized
environmental information.