POLLEN ANALYSIS OF CORES FROM SITE GA426, OFFSHORE NEAR GALVESTON, TEXAS

Five sediment samples from two cores collected at site GA426, located approximately 31 miles offshore near Galveston, Texas, were examined for pollen. The site is on an old river terrace that is now submerged in an estuary or back bay. The site is a possible Paleoindian site that is expected to date to between approximately 9,000 and 10,000 BP. The area was above water during the last glacial maximum and was subsequently submerged in the range of 8,400 to 10,000 BP (Patrick Hesp, personal communication, June 7, 2011). Pollen analysis of these samples provides information about the past vegetation growing in the area and also may be used to describe the paleoenvironment.