MACROFLORAL, PHYTOLITH, AND PET ANALYSES AND AMS RADIOCARBON DATING FOR SITES 32OL531 AND 32OL541, NORTH DAKOTA

Samples were submitted for various analyses from sites 32OL531 and 32OL541 in Oliver County, North Dakota. Site 32OL531 is a prehistoric campsite consisting of 21 stone rings and one stone cairn, and site 32OL541 is a prehistoric campsite that consists of 19 stone rings and three cairns. Fill from possible hearth areas in 10 of the stone rings at these sites were floated to recover macrofloral remains, including charcoal for AMS radiocarbon dating. Sufficient charred material for dating was recovered from seven of the ten macrofloral samples. Five of the fill samples also were analyzed for phytoliths, and charred material from one of the samples was examined for the presence of starches to aid in identification (PET analysis). Macrofloral, phytolith, and PET analyses will be used to provide information concerning plant resources utilized by the occupants of these sites. An additional three AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained on faunal bone samples from two stone rings and a cairn. Eight lithic tools were tested for possible protein residues to provide information concerning animals that might have been hunted/processed with these tools.