A Macrobotanical Analysis of Site 33PE839, an Early and Middle Woodlands Period Lithics Workshop

Ten soil samples from an Early and Middle Woodlands period quarry-related lithics workshop in Ohio were submitted to the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research for macrobotanical analysis. This limited activity site was not expected to yield many botanical remains, although Bowes and Trigg did identify charred hickory (Carya), oak (Quercus), and elm (Ulmus) wood, as well as one hickory nutshell and one charred chickweed (Stellaria) seed among the remains submitted for analysis. Radiocarbon dating of the samples also suggests a possible long-term trend towards hickory over oak, a shift which may be linked to both environmental changes and/ or changes in fuel preferences.