POLLEN, PHYTOLITH, MACROFLORAL, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS AT SITE CA-SDI-12557, SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

Pollen, phytolith, macrofloral, and protein residue analyses were performed on soil samples
and artifacts from Site CA-SDI-12557 in San Diego County, California. Four pollen control
samples were collected from a stratigraphic column east of the site in an area that is believed not
to have been cultivated. The remaining pollen sample and two macrofloral columns were
recovered from a large living area feature. Twelve phytolith samples and two macrofloral columns
were collected from units scattered throughout the site. Eleven artifacts also were found scattered
throughout the site and were analyzed for possible protein residues. Immunological studies have
shown that protein residues from a tool's surface can be identified using modified forensic
procedures. Control soil samples for ten of these eleven artifacts were tested. Radiocarbon dates,
obsidian hydration results, and diagnostic artifacts suggest that CA-SDI-12557 is a Late Period site.
It is assumed that the Late Period occupants of the area lived in permanent villages and migrated
to the oak forests in the eastern mountains as part of their seasonal rounds. There, they are
believed to have exploited acorns, deer, and rabbits.