POLLEN, STARCH, PHYTOLlTH, MACROFLORAL, AND PROTEIN RESIDUE ANALYSIS FOR THE DAYTON CANYON ESTATES PROJECT, SITE CA-LAN-254, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Artifacts from burial and burnt rock features at site CA-LAN-254 in southern California were
analyzed for pollen, starches, phytoliths, and/or protein residues. Botanic remains picked from
floated soil samples also were submitted for identification. This site is located near the city of
Chatsworth in inland Los Angeles County, on the border with Ventura County. It is a large
residential base with an extensive burnt rock midden, abundant roasting pits, and an associated
Native American cemetery. Diagnostic artifacts and radiocarbon analysis indicate that the site
dates to the Millingstone period, between 2,000 and 6,000 years B.P. Vegetal foods appears to
have been the focus of subsistence activities at the site. Millingstone is common, and roasting pits
are hypothesized to have been used for preparing yucca. Pollen/starch, phytolith, and protein
residue analysis of the ground stone assemblage will be used to help determine types of resources
processed at the site, especially in the stone mortars. Flaked stone tools were analyzed for
possible protein residues to provide information concerning possible plants and/or animal resources
processed/hunted with these tools. Types of plant resources processed and types of wood burned
as fuel also can be determined by identification of charred botanic remains from floated feature fill.