Pollen, Phytolith, and Macrofloral Analysis for 9ch1191, Brampton Plantation, Chatham County, Georgia

Site 9CH1191 (Brampton Plantation) consists of an antebellum rice plantation situated on the banks of the Savannah River that was central to battle during the Savannah Campaign of the Civil War between December 16 and 18, 1864. Intact battlefields and rice agricultural structures are still visible. This study used shovel tests to revisit a survey for the Brampton Connector project. Samples submitted for analyses were collected on the drier margins of active wetlands or from excavations in two agricultural structures. Fifteen sediment samples were examined for phytoliths and macrofloral remains, although only three of these samples were selected for pollen analysis by the client. Upon examination of the various microfossil and macrofloral records, we deemed the pollen record to be essential to understanding the botanic evidence, so ended up examining all of these sediment samples for pollen. In addition, two samples representing an old surface were examined specifically to recover their pollen signature.