POLLEN AND PHYTOLITH ANALYSIS AT ABINGDON PLANTATION, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

The Abingdon Plantation site (44AR18) is situated on previously level terrain
approximately 60 feet above sea level overlooking the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia.
Stratigraphic pollen and phytolith analysis was performed at close intervals on a series of
fourteen samples from a column in Unit 21 and eight samples from Unit 70. Samples from Unit
21 represent Stratum F, which represents 18th century occupations and may contain garden
deposits, as well as a small amount of the overlying Stratum E, which has been dated to the
1850s and the underlying, culturally sterile Stratum G. Samples from Unit 70 represent close
interval sampling from Strata D, C, and B. Stratum C represents a 18th century deposits, while
Stratum D represents culturally sterile sediment below this surface and Stratum B represents
19th century fill (Leslie Raymer, personal communication, June 1998). Close interval pollen and
phytolith analysis in this area of the historic yard and close to a kitchen window was undertaken
to reconstruct yard vegetation, discard of kitchen debris, and site formation processes. The
original goal of large pollen counts of 400 grains was abandoned prior to analysis due to
budgetary constraints.

阿宾登种植园遗址（44AR18）坐落于此前经平整的台地之上，海拔约60英尺，俯瞰弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿县境内的波托马克河。研究人员对21号探方剖面的14份系列样品以及70号探方的8份样品开展了密间隔地层孢粉与植硅体分析。21号探方的样品取自F层，该层对应18世纪的人类活动遗存，可能包含菜园堆积，同时混入了少量上覆的E层沉积物；E层的年代被定为19世纪50年代，其下伏的G层则为无文化堆积的地层。70号探方的样品为D、C、B三层的密间隔采样样品，其中C层为18世纪堆积，D层为该层之下的无文化堆积沉积物，B层则为19世纪的填充堆积（莱斯利·雷默，私人通讯，1998年6月）。本次针对该历史庭院靠近厨房窗户区域的密间隔孢粉与植硅体分析，旨在重建庭院植被状况、还原厨余垃圾丢弃过程并解析遗址形成机制。原本计划开展的400粒花粉计数大样本分析目标，因预算限制在分析启动前即被放弃。