POLLEN, MACROFLORAL, PHYTOLlTH, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS AT SITE 42GR3222, MOAB, UTAH

Site 42GR3222 in the town of Moab, Utah, was discovered during 2002 construction
activities for the city of Moab's Tusher Storm Drain project. This site is believed to represent a
stratified habitation site dating to the Basketmaker II period. Features found at the site include
a midden, two large bell-shaped pits, a smaller possible storage pit, a possible hearth, a burned
pit structure with several internal features and a human burial, a possible pit structure, and a
rock-lined pit. Pollen and/or macrofloral samples were examined from the large bell-shaped
storage pits (Features 2 and 7/8), the smaller oval-shaped possible storage pit (Feature 3), the
possible hearth (Feature 5), the pit structure (Feature 6), several of its internal features, and the
rock-lined pit (Feature 10) to provide information concerning plant resources that might have
been utilized by the occupants of this site. Two corn cob fragments from the fill of one of the
large bell-shaped storage pits (Feature 7/8) were examined for phytoliths to provide a numeric
signature that can inform concerning race of maize grown, and also to provide a signature
indicating the environmental conditions under which the maize was grown. A biface blade from
the fill of this storage pit and a projectile point from the pit structure floor were washed to
recover possible protein residues. Protein residue analysis of artifact surfaces can provide
information concerning resources that were hunted/processed with the tools.