POLLEN ANALYSIS AND CHARCOAL IDENTIFICATION OF SAMPLES FROM SITE 48CR10499, CARBON COUNTY, WYOMING

Site 48CR10499, located in south-central Wyoming in the eastern portion of the Washakie Basin, is a hunter-gatherer open camp exhibiting evidence of two occupations, including one Early Archaic housepit. Component 2 yielded ten radiocarbon dates ranging from 5720 to 5180 BP, indicating an Opal Phase occupation. Component 1 comprises two distinct open camps dating to 1820 and 1530 BP. Two sediment samples collected from each of the two cultural components were examined for pollen to provide evidence of local vegetation at the time of both occupations. Two thermal basins, one from each component, were examined for pollen in an effort to obtain a signature representing cooking. In addition, one metate wash was submitted for pollen analysis to identify the plants ground. Three containers containing a few seeds each were submitted for macrofloral identification.

遗址48CR10499（Site 48CR10499）坐落于美国怀俄明州中南部沃夏基盆地（Washakie Basin）东部区域，是一处狩猎采集者露天营地，留存有两次人类居住活动的考古遗存，其中包含一处古阿尔奇克时期（Early Archaic）的房址坑（housepit）。文化组分2（Component 2）共获得10组碳十四测年数据，年代范围为距今5720年至5180年，表明该组分对应欧泊期（Opal Phase）的人类居住活动。文化组分1包含两处独立的露天营地，年代分别为距今1820年和1530年。研究人员从两处文化组分中各采集两份沉积物样本，开展孢粉分析（pollen analysis），以复原两次居住活动时期的当地植被状况。此外，从两个文化组分中各选取一处热盆（thermal basin）进行孢粉分析，以期获取反映烹饪活动的孢粉特征信号。另有一件磨石盘（metate）的冲洗沉积物被送检，用于孢粉分析以识别该磨盘曾研磨的植物种类。另有三份各盛有少量植物种子的容器被送检，用于大植物遗存（macrofloral）鉴定。