POLLEN, PHYTOLlTH, PROTEIN RESIDUE, AND MACROFLORAL ANALYSIS AT SITES CA-IMP-7911/H AND CA-IMP-8046, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Soil samples from various levels of fill in six buried prehistoric charcoal features at site CA-IMP-7911/H were floated to recover charred macrofloral remains. Following this, pollen samples from three of the features and two metates, as well as two phytolith samples from the metates were examined for evidence of plant processing. The metate from Feature 19u also was examined for protein residues. In addition, charred seeds and wood recovered from dry screening the feature soil were submitted for identification. These features were exposed by north-south pipeline trenching for North Baja Pipeline Project in southeastern California. An historic component of the site consists of a fenced enclosure containing three graves. Macrofloral analysis of the charcoal features will provide information concerning plant resources processed by the prehistoric occupants of this area and types of wood burned as fuel. Pollen samples were examined from two levels of fill in a planar, charcoal-rich lens at site CA-IMP-8046 on the west wall of the North Baja Pipeline trench to identify plant processing activities.