PALYNOLOGY

POLLEN ANALYSIS IS THE STUDY OF POLLEN, THE VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE MICROSCOPIC AND EASILY IDENTIFIABLE PLANT PARTS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES. POLLEN CAN CLING TO THE INSIDE OF A POT, ON STONE TOOLS, OR WITHIN FEATURES SUCH AS STORAGE PITS OR LIVING FLOORS.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL POLLEN CAN BE USED TO IDENTIFY CLUES TO PREHISTORIC CLIMATE (WHAT KIND OF PLANT GROWS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF A SITE), THEIR DIET, AND THE TYPES OF PLANTS AND VEGETATION COLLECTED DURING PREHISTORY. THERE ARE SOME ISSUES REGARDING POLLEN ANALYSIS SINCE NATURAL BEHAVIOR MAY AFFECT THE TYPES OF POLLEN BURIED AT A SITE.

THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH IS USED WIDELY IN THE SOUTHWEST AS THERE ARE MANY DRY CAVES AND POTTERY FRAGMENTS WHICH CONTAINED PLANTS. EACH LAYER OR SEDIMENT EXCAVATED CAN BE RESEARCHED TO GIVE ONE THE TYPES OF PLANTS EATEN PER PERIOD OF TIME.

POLLEN IS DISCHARGED FROM A MALE PLANT AND RELIES ON WIND PARTICULARLY IN SUMMER THE AIR IS FILLED WITH POLLEN DUST. POLLEN GRAINS ARE DISTINCT TO EACH PLANT SPECIES AND THEIR DENSE STRUCTURES SURVIVE IN MANY SOIL TYPES FOR 1000'S OF YEARS.

PALYNOLOGISTS EXTRACT POLLEN FROM THE SOIL THAT HAS BEEN EXCAVATED, OR GET SAMPLES FROM AN AUGER CARE IN A SITE. EACH LAYER IS ANALYZED SEPARATELY. RADIO CARBON DATES OF EACH ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAYER CAN DATE THE LAYERS IF CARBON IS AVAILABLE.

GRASS, WOOD, CEREAL, AND WEED POLLENS ALL HAVE A STORY TO TELL ABOUT THE LAND USE. SITE ABANDONMENT, AND CULTIVATION CAN BE DETERMINED. POLLEN ANALYSIS CAN PROVIDE SOME GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT PREHISTORY.













BY KRIS HIRST