Field Consultation & Sample Collection

Field consultation concerning application of research design and sampling designs can be extremely helpful.  Often, this is possible only with larger or on-going projects.  Since we are archaeobotanists, we see through a filter of economic activity or an eye towards obtaining paleoenvironmental information, rather than through the lens of field archaeologists.  This allows us to bring a new dimension to field work and sampling.  We are happy to train your staff in sampling while we are in the field!

We see what is possible at your site, rather than trying to work our sampling around specific requirements or constraints.  We encourage sampling to recover possible evidence of economic activity or paleoenvironmental evidence, rather than sampling to fulfill budgetary requirements.  Often our sampling design or approach can be embraced under the same budget as originally proposed.  We prefer not to be guided by any attempt to "verify the obvious" or collect yet another feature fill.  Instead, we submit that the most informative samples are collected from proveniences that offer the best possibility for interpretation.  Instead of general fill, target the sample to specific fill.  Rather than sample every pit in the same manner (for instance either the center or bottom of the fill), try sampling a few pits intensively to understand more fully the activities associated with the pits.  For instance, in a roasting pit, samples from the bottom fill, fill along the lower portion of the sides of the pit and perhaps a few others (but not post-occupational fill unless that is of specific interest) often can inform concerning choice of fuel, plant buffering layers, and plants roasted in a feature.

In general, we prefer more intensive sampling of a few representative features than a shot-gun approach to sampling every feature minimally.  We feel we learn (and you will learn) more from intensive examination of a single floor than a single sample from 10 floors.

When we come to the field, we show you the best (in terms of quality) and most efficient ways to collect samples that we have used.

Updated 01-13-2008

Email
Dr. Linda Scott Cummings

Phone
(303)277-9848

Fax
(303)462-2700

Paleo Research Institute
2675 Youngfield Street
Golden, Colorado
80401