Paleoethnobotanical inquiry of early euro-American and Ojibwa Gardens on Grand Island, Michigan

Northeastern Naturalist, 1998 by Silbernagel, Janet, Martin, Susan R, Landon, David B, Gale, Margaret R

Pollen

Pollen taxa were recorded for sample WL1-F and FC by absolute count and percent of the total pollen count (Table 2). Several taxa were identified to genus while others could not be identified below the family level. We recovered 293 tree and shrub grains in 17 taxa and 39 herb grains in 5 taxa from sample WL1-F. From sample FC, 145 tree and shrub grains were found in 20 taxa and 239 herb grains in 9 taxa. In total, there were 332 pollen grains recovered in 22 taxa from WL1-F and 384 pollen grains in 29 taxa total from FC.

Samples from WL1-F were dominated by tree pollen (81.1%) compared to shrubs (7.2%) or herbs (11.7%) whereas the FC sample had predominantly herb pollen (62.2%), with less tree (30.8%) and shrub (7.0%) pollen. Betula and Ostrya/Carpinus were the most frequent pollen taxa of the 22 taxa represented in the pollen sum of WL1-F (Valppu 1993, unpub.). This sample was also characterized by many degraded pollen grains. The pollen sum of FC was dominated by Poaceae (44.5%), with few degraded grains.

When family level taxa and unidentified grains or partial grains were removed from the pollen count, 264 tree, shrub, and herb pollen grains remained from sample WL1-F and 167 grains from sample FC. Of these, 152 grains from WL1-F and 52 from FC represented culturally important taxa. Compared to taxa currently on the site, 201 grains from WL1-F and 124 grains from FC represented taxa that were found during our recent field survey (Table 3). The proportions of culturally important (CI) to currently present (CP) taxa were 0.76 for WL1-F and 0.42 for FC (Fig. 5). If Poaceae grains are included the CI:CP ratios are 0.70 for WL1-F and 0.18 for FC.

Phytolith Analysis

Phytolith remains were recorded into seven categories of phytolith forms (Table 4). Phytolith taxa (order) can be inferred from phytolith forms. Three samples (WLl, MBl, and MB2) produced similar phytolith assemblages which included high amounts of grass, dominantly Pooid types. WL1 contained relatively low amounts of phytoliths but the largest amount of unfamiliar brown cellular structures. Phytolith types from WLI suggested Chloridoids and Pooids, whereas only Pooids were indicated in MB 1 and MB2 (Mulholland 1993). The feature sample (WL1-F) was quite different, producing fewer grass silica bodies, but containing many other types, including possible indicators of maize and non-grass species (Mulholland 1993). Sample FC from the abandoned field was also different, containing numerous phytolith types suggestive of grass inflorescence, and three possible indicators of maize (Mulholland 1993) (Table 5).

Macroremains

Macroremains samples yielded primarily carbonized wood fragments and mycorrhizal sclerotia with modern rootlets and seeds, although the relative proportions of each type varied by sample. Despite similar soil characteristics, each sample had distinctly different light fraction compositions. For example, many Portulaca cf. oleracea and Poaceae undiff. were recovered from FC, neither of which occurred in the shoreline samples (Table 6).