POLLEN, PARASITE, PHYTOLITH, AND STARCH ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM THE ISAIAH DAVENPORT HOUSE, CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA

The Isaiah Davenport House site is situated on Lots 13 and 14 in the northwestern corner of Columbia Square, Savannah, Georgia. Around 1810, Isaiah Davenport constructed a Federal style home and associated outbuildings on Lot 14 that were inhabited and used by his family and their enslaved household attendants. Isaiah Davenport purchased Lot 13 in 1812 and built a home at this location around 1820. This home currently stands as “...one of the oldest brick structures in the city...” (The LAMAR Institute 2013:1), while the buildings on Lot 14 are no longer present, as the lot was converted into a courtyard garden in 1976. Soil samples collected from privy and midden contexts were submitted for pollen, parasite, phytolith, and starch analyses to provide information on local plants, their use as part of the diet, practices, and the health and hygiene of the site occupants.