POLLEN, STARCH, PHYTOLITH, PROTEIN, AND ORGANIC RESIDUE (FTIR) ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES FROM SITES FOR THE UNION PACIFIC STRAUSS RAILROAD YARD DATA RECOVERY PROJECT, SANTA TERESA, NEW MEXICO

The Union Pacific Strauss Railroad Yard data recovery project examined numerous sites in the deflated sand sheet environment near Teresa, New Mexico. Coppice dunes and regular surfaces are both present in the study area. Numerous artifacts and sediment samples were examined from twenty-one sites (LA26765, LA103960, LA103961, LA129533, LA129534, LA129535, LA129538, LA129543, LA129544, LA129545, LA160121, LA160123, LA160124, LA160125, LA160126, LA160127, LA160128, LA160131, LA160132, LA160137, and LA160138) in this area. Groundstone, lithic tools, and feature fill from these sites, located among deflated sand sheets near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, were submitted for pollen, starch, phytolith, protein, and organic residue (FTIR) analysis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) will be used to examine some of the samples for organic residues.