Traces of the Past: Microscopic Residue Analysis on the Canadian Plateau, British
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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Traces of the Past: Microscopic Residue Analysis on the Canadian Plateau, British Columbia by Shannon Croft A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA DECEMBER, 2011 © Shannon Croft 2011 Library and Archives Biblioth&que et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du HI Branch Patrimoine de l'§dition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83417-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83417-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant £ la Biblioth&que et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, pr§ter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, & des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, 6lectronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propri6t§ du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimis ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie priv6e, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondares ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract This study examines microscopic plant and animal residues from 106 stone tools dating to the Late Period (4500 to 200 BP) obtained from the Canadian Plateau site White Rock Springs (EeRj-226), in the Hat Creek valley, interior British Columbia, Canada. Microscopic residues gleaned from artifacts are used as direct archaeological evidence to assess the diet and technologies of prehistoric peoples. Root food use was a particular focus of the study and was targeted by characterizing starch grains found on the stone tools. In addition to starch, microscopic trace residues of coniferous wood, herbaceous and/or woody tissues, phytoliths, feathers, pollen, fungal hyphae and lichen were extracted from the stone tools. ii Acknowledgements I express my gratitude to my supervisor Brian Kooyman (University of Calgary) for his patience and expert guidance in creating methodology appropriate for starch residue analysis and his anticipation of problems. Dr. Kooyman draws from his very large and varied archaeological and biological experience, and his insightful comments have been invaluable to my thesis. Brian Kooyman and Sandra Peacock (University of British Columbia Okanagan) allowed me to join their excavation team at White Rock Springs in Hat Creek, British Columbia. Dr. Peacock kindly shared her EeRj-226 research applications and reports with me and gave me the opportunity to learn from her extensive understanding of earth ovens. I am grateful for the use of Sonia Zarrillo's (Ph.D. candidate, University of Calgary) starch residue extraction procedure and her space in Dr. Scott Raymond's Latin American Studies laboratory at the University of Calgary. I was provided with the lithic database of White Rock Springs tools, information compiled by Dr. David Pokotylo (University of British Columbia) and his students. Drs. Len Hills, Heather Addy (University of Calgary), and Rolf Mathewes (Simon Fraser University) provided pundit advice on pollen and fungal identifications. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents iv List of Figures vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: THE SITE AND THE CANADIAN PLATEAU 3 Overview of the White Rock Springs Site (EeRj-226) 3 Chronology of the Canadian Plateau 7 Late Period 4500-200 BP (Plateau Pithouse Tradition) 7 Botanical Work on the Canadian Plateau 11 Direct and Indirect Plant Food Evidence 12 Ethnohistory 13 Ethnobotany 27 Archaeological Tools and Features 31 Plant Food Remains 44 CHAPTER 3: RESIDUE ANALYSIS: NEW INFORMATION FROM OLD TOOLS 51 Historical Overview of Lithic Residue Analysis with Emphasis on Starch 51 Artifact Residues 52 Starch as a Biological Subject 52 Starch as an Archaeological Residue 53 Residue Analysis as a Way Forward 55 Theoretical Considerations in Residue Analysis 59 Human Ecological Perspective 59 Women and Visibility. 60 Theory in Residue Analysis 60 iv CHAPTER 4: RESIDUES, ARCHAEOLOGY AND TAPHONOMY 66 Starch Biology 66 Starch Features Useful to Archaeology 69 Starch Look-alikes 73 Microscopic Indicators of Human Activity 74 Plant Micro-remains 75 Vascular Tissues 75 Phytoliths 78 Pollen 79 Fungal Micro-remains 80 Hyphae and Spores 80 Animal Micro-remains 81 Cells and Tissues 81 Feathers 81 Residue Taphonomy 82 Residue Preservation 83 Stone Tools 83 Soils 85 Special Contexts 87 Modified Starches 88 Contamination of Archaeological Material 91 CHAPTER 5: THE TOOLS AND PROCEDURES 94 Description of the Lithic Sample and Handling History 94 Procedures 96 Residue Extraction 96 Slide Preparation 99 Starch Grain Identification 99 Non Starch Residues 105 v CHAPTER 6: RESULTS 106 Plant Micro-remains 106 Starch 106 Overview and General Remarks 107 Starch Data Collected 107 Density of Starch by Tool 107 Morphotypes 113 Vascular Tissues 144 Softwoods 144 Hardwoods/Herbaceous Plants 147 Phytoliths 149 Pollen 154 Fungal Micro-remains 155 Hyphae and Spores 155 Animal Micro-remains 160 Feather Barbule 160 Variety and Density of Residues on Tools 162 Tool Form and Tasks 163 Absent Residues 167 Results of Controls 167 Summary of Results 170 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS 172 Goals Revisited 172 Implications 176 Recommendations 177 Pounding Tools and Future Research Potential 178 Contamination 178 Residue Extraction Procedure 181 Reference Collection 182 Limitations 183 REFERENCES 186 APPENDIX A: Residue Extraction and Slide Mounting Procedure 236 APPENDIX B: All Residues from Lithic Sample 242 APPENDIX C: Starch Morphotypes 256 vi List of Figures Fig. 2-1. Diverse floral zones on the Canadian Plateau, near the town of Lillooet, British Columbia. Fig. 2-2. Les Miller holding a Chocolate Tips (Lomatium dissectum) plant with edible roots and shoots, found near excavations at the White Rock Springs site. Fig. 2-3. Example of a maul from British Columbia, held at the University of Calgary Archaeological Museum. Fig. 2-4. Trench through cultural feature at the White Rock Springs site showing high amounts of fire cracked rock and charcoal characteristic of earth ovens. Fig. 4-1. Light micrograph of storage starch grains from White Potato {Solatium tuberosum) under cross polarized light, 250x magnification. Note extinction crosses. Fig. 4-2. Different shapes of storage starch grains from White Potato, 250x magnification. The large grains display eccentrically placed hila and lamellae lines. Fig. 4-3. This large ruptured starch grain from water soaked macaroni pasta has been damaged, probably modified by physical milling, water and temperature changes, pH changes, enzymatic attack, or other methods of commercial processing. Tearing of the grain edge is apparent in normal light, 400x magnification. Fig. 4-4. Note the complete loss of birefringence and the extinction cross of the of the large ruptured grain when viewed in cross polarized light, 400x, image digitally lightened. Fig. 5-1. In this view and plane of focus, the hilum of Starch 15 (large grain in lower center) appears a solid dot. From Tool 1560, 400x. Fig. 5-2. When rotated, the hilum of Starch 15 appears an open ring form. From Tool 1560, 400x. Fig. 6-1. Morphotype A starch grain appears as a flat disc in polar view. Max length of grain is 28.5 |jm. Starch 1 from tool 1919, 400x. Fig. 6-2. Morphotype A starch grain from an oblique side view. When the grain is probed, the equatorial groove is visible. Starch 1 from tool 1919, 400x. Fig. 6-3. The extinction cross of Morphotype A grains usually become visible when probed into the oblique side view in cross polarized light. Starch 1 from tool 1919, 400x. Fig. 6-4. Morphotype A in polar view with notably roughened grain edges, max length 29.1 pm. Starch 2 from tool 3694, 400x. Fig. 6-5. Morphotype A in oblique side view with equatorial groove visible. Starch 2 from tool 3694, 400x. Fig. 6-6. Same grain in cross polarized light partial oblique view. Fig. 6-7. Morphotype A starch grain 3 from tool 3694 with the 'donut' or ringed area around the hilum, max length 28.5 pm, polar view, 400x. vii Fig. 6-8. Morphotype A starch grain 3 from tool 3694 showing the 'donut' or ringed area around the hilum, slightly rotated, 400x. Fig. 6-9. Same grain showing the hilum area darkened in cross polarized light, 400x. Fig. 6-10. Starch grains in polar view of Bluestem Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) from the BC/AB reference collection, 400x. Image used with kind permission of B. Kooyman. Fig. 6-11. Same grains, note large grain rotated to show equatorial groove. Image by B. Kooyman. Fig. 6-12. Large Bluestem Wheatgrass starch grain rotated with equatorial groove, 400x. Image by B. Kooyman. Fig. 6-11. This Morphotype B grain is a 6.8 pm sphere with an open pink hilum. Starch 34 from tool 1790, 400x.