Identification of Charred Wood from Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest West Allee

Forty-nine flotation samples from Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest (Virginia) were submitted to the Fiske Center for macrobotanical analysis. Researchers at Poplar Forest hoped to learn more about historic land management practices through the examination and identification of over six hundred charred wood specimens taken from features identified as planting stains or root holes. While many pieces of wood were unidentifiable due to small size and poor preservation, the overall data suggest the application of cooking fire ash as a field fertilizer rather than land clearance through controlled burning.