POLLEN ANALYSIS AT THE OASIS OF MARA, TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA

The Oasis of Mara is a permanent spring located in the Mojave desert in Twentynine
Palms, California. This spring has served as important source of water and center for human
occupation in the high desert region from prehistoric to post World War II. A geologic trench at
the site revealed a layer dated to 9000 years BP that represented either an eolian lense or a
liquifaction feature within a stratum containing marsh sediments. Seven pollen samples were
analyzed from above, below and within this anomalous sedimentary feature to determine plant
communities represented by the pollen signatures, and the potential plant resources available
to humans in the area.

马拉绿洲（Oasis of Mara）是一处常年泉眼，坐落于美国加利福尼亚州二十九棕榈村境内的莫哈韦沙漠（Mojave Desert）中。自史前时期至第二次世界大战结束后，该泉眼始终是这片高沙漠区域的重要水源，亦是人类定居活动的核心区域。该遗址的地质探槽揭示出一层距今9000年的地层，该地层要么属于风成透镜体（eolian lense），要么是含沼泽沉积物地层中的液化特征。研究人员从该异常沉积特征的上方、下方及内部采集7份花粉样品开展分析，以此明确该区域花粉组合所代表的植物群落，以及当时人类可获取的潜在植物资源。