What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to understand the seasonal occupation and use of plant materials at the Lake Fremont Site across various historical periods.

March 7, 2026Open Access

Pollen, Phytolith, Starch, and Macrofloral Analyses of Sediments From the Lake Fremont Site (21mu003), Murray County, Minnesota

Key Points

The aim is to understand the seasonal occupation and use of plant materials at the Lake Fremont Site across various historical periods.
Collection of sediment samples from multiple feature contexts
Analysis of pollen, phytolith, starch, and macrofloral content
Conducting organic residue analysis via FTIR
Integration of data from sediment samples over multiple years
Evidence of diverse plant utilization among the site's inhabitants
Indications of seasonal occupation based on botanical remains
Comparison of findings from 2017 and 2021 analyses reveals continuity in occupancy patterns

Abstract

The Lake Fremont Site (21MU003) is located in the Lake Shetek region of southwestern Minnesota on a small peninsula projecting into Fremont Lake in Murray County. Archaeological field schools hosted by Normandale Community College archaeologists from 2009 through 2018 recovered material evidence of precontact occupations ranging from the Archaic through Late Woodland periods. Sediment samples from three feature contexts were submitted in 2017 for a suite of archaeobotanical analyses (pollen, phytolith, starch, and macrofloral) in addition to organic residue (FTIR) analysis (Cummings and Kováčik 2018). As part of ongoing research into the seasonality of site occupation and utilization of botanical remains by its inhabitants, four additional sediment samples were submitted in 2021 for pollen, phytolith, starch, and macrofloral analyses.

Pollen, Phytolith, Starch, and Macrofloral Analyses of Sediments From the Lake Fremont Site (21mu003), Murray County, Minnesota

Key Points

Abstract

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