POLLEN AND BOTANIC ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENTS OF TWO GRAY-WARE CERAMIC VESSELS AT THE BERNSTEIN-DIERKING DISCOVERY SITE, 42SA24364, UTAH, AND POLLEN AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS OF THREE BONE SCRAPERS FROM INSIDE ONE OF THE VESSELS

Two Dolores corrugated grayware ceramic vessels were recovered from a small sheltered alcove at the Bernstein-Dierking Discovery site, 42SA24364, in eastern Utah. Ceramics and radiocarbon dates suggest occupation during the Pueblo II period. Fill inside the North Pot was sampled at 5 cm intervals for pollen and/or botanic remains to provide information concerning paleoenvironmental conditions as this vessel filled. In addition, a wash was collected from the interior of the pot to determine probable contents of the vessel. Pollen recovered from this wash was compared with pollen from the soil samples in the bottom portion of the pot to assist in identifying probable vessel contents. The South Pot contained several basket fragments and five "bone scrapers". The interior surface of the pot was washed for pollen to provide information concerning probable contents of the vessel. A pollen sample also was collected from sediment within the marrow cavities of the five "bone scrapers". In addition, three of the "bone scrapers" were washed for possible protein residues and pollen remains to determine if the tools were used to process plant or animal resources.