PHYTOLlTH, PROTEIN RESIDUE, AND MACROFLORAL ANALYSES, AND AMS RADIOCARBON DATING FOR THE CITY POINT UNIT APPOMATTOX MANOR RESTORATION PROJECT, HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA

Two prehistoric ceramic rim sherds, a soil sample, and a single projectile point/knife were recovered during Phase III archaeological data recovery at the Appomattox Manor dwelling house in the City Point Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield in Hopewell, Virginia. This area is part of a large, multicomponent site. The majority of the ceramic sherds found on a possible living floor/midden (Feature 4) are believed to be associated with the Varina Netimpressed variety, which dates to the Middle Woodland II Period. The AMS radiocarbon analysis conducted on charcoal recovered from Feature 4, as part of this study, yielded an age of 590 ± 30 BP, indicating a Late Prehistoric occupation. The two ceramic rim sherds were washed to recover phytoliths and/or starches that would aid in identifying foods cooked using the ceramic vessels. A soil sample from this feature was floated for macrofloral remains to determine plant resources available to the occupants of this site. Charcoal identified from the sample was submitted for AMS radiocarbon analysis. The projectile point/knife was recovered beneath Feature 4. It exhibits serrated edges and is deemed to be similar to those produced during the early Archaic period. This artifact was tested for possible protein residues to provide information concerning animals hunted/processed with the tool.在美国弗吉尼亚州霍普韦尔市彼得斯堡国家战场城市点单元的阿波马托克斯庄园住宅遗址第三阶段考古数据抢救发掘过程中，共计出土两件史前陶制口沿残片、一份土壤样品以及一件投射尖状器/刀具（projectile point/knife）。该区域隶属于一处大型多组分考古遗址。在疑似居住面/厨余垃圾堆（编号遗迹4）中发现的绝大多数陶片，被认为隶属于瓦里纳压网纹陶类（Varina Net-impressed variety），年代可追溯至中伍德兰二期（Middle Woodland II Period）。本研究针对遗迹4出土的炭样开展加速器质谱碳十四测年（AMS radiocarbon analysis），测得年代为590 ± 30 BP，表明该遗址存在晚史前时期的人类活动遗存。研究人员对两件陶制口沿残片进行清洗处理，以提取植硅体（phytoliths）与淀粉粒，辅助研判该陶瓷容器曾烹制的食物种类。同时采集该遗迹的土壤样品，通过浮选法获取大植物遗存（macrofloral remains），以分析该遗址先民可获取的植物资源。从该土壤样品中识别出的炭样亦被送检，开展加速器质谱碳十四测年分析。该投射尖状器/刀具出土于遗迹4的下方，其边缘带有锯齿状结构，被认为与早阿齐克文化时期（early Archaic period）的同类制品风格相近。研究人员对该人工制品开展蛋白质残留物检测，以获取该工具曾用于狩猎或加工的动物相关信息。