Report on Soil Samples from Saugus Ironworks, Saugus, Massachusetts

Six flotation samples and one palynological sample from prehistoric contexts at the Saugus Iron Works site in Massachusetts were submitted to the Fiske Center for macrobotanical and palynological assessment and analysis. The palynological sample's low pollen grain density and high proportion of Liguliforae pollen suggested that attempting an accurate vegetation reconstruction at this site through palynological analysis may be impossible due to weathering and preservation concerns. While preservation concerns also affected the recovery rates of botanical materials from the floatation samples, analysts were able to identify small numbers of economically useful plants such as rasberries(Rubus sp.), hickory nuts (Corylus sp.), and hazelnuts (Carya sp.) and a range of charred wood specimens common to the northeastern United States.