POLLEN ANALYSIS AT THE PINENUT SITE

Twenty samples were submitted for analysis from the Pinenut Site, a
Virgin Anasazi site located in the Arizona Strip. The site was occupied in
the late Pueblo I to Pueblo II time span (ca. AD 850-1100). While evidence
of both horticulture and wild resource procurement has been noted for the
Virgin Anasazi, the degree of reliance on agricultural resources has not
been studied. The major research focus of the archaeological study, of
which this study is a part, is the identification of the function and role
of the Pinenut Site within the context of Virgin Anasazi adaptational
strategies. All of the subsurface pollen samples submitted for analysis at
this site represent features or structure floors. These samples were
collected primarily to assess the vegetal portion of tile subsistence base,
as reflected in the pollen record. In addition, some very general
interpretations concerning the environment may be made from this pollen
record.