Hello all,
I am dealing with a very complex case here in Québec and I would appreciate your help since it involves pollen analysis from an archaeological site (17th-18th centuries) and I am not a specialist.
I was ask to provide methodological references on how to study paleoenvironment in urban sites because there is a site being excavated and the city and government are asking the archaeologist to provide paleoenvironment analysis on the site and environmental reconstruction during the occupation as well. It is a urban site very much disturbed as they are building a highway on it and the construction has begun. They are asking for pollen analysis from the small river that used to be there during the occupation of the site (17th-18th century) and before, on the lake right next to it (dry now), and in privies. I find this much disturbing and very improbable that this is the good methodology and the right choice of analysis, and that it will provide valid results. Are there any articles that can help me demonstrate to the archaeologist on the site that this is not the best analysis that can be performed? What are your thoughts about it?
I know the ideal contexts that pollen should be taken from, but this is not the case so I just want to give the right information to the archaeologist in charge.
Thank you for your help,
Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie Faucher
Archaeobotanist
GAIA, coopérative de travail en archéologie
www.gaia-arch.com
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