MACROFLORAL ANALYSIS AND AMS RADIOCARBON DATING OF HEARTH FILL FROM SITE C2-M-1 IN THE MOJAVE DESERT, KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

A prehistoric site, C2-M-1, located in the high desert area of the Antelope Valley in the western portion of the Mojave Desert, Kern County, California, consists of five hearth features and a lithic scatter. Excavation of one of the hearth features (C2-3) yielded charcoal, lithic debitage, faunal and botanical materials (Robert Ramirez, personal communication May 15, 2014). A soil sample was collected from beneath fire-affected rock in the fill of this hearth and was submitted for macrofloral analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating to gain information about the botanic materials that were used in the hearth and to obtain a contextual date for its period of use.