PREFACE

1. Sample #2. Complete provenience which includes site #, study unit, horizontal-vertical position, depthbelow ground surface (not datum), feature #, feature type, or surface;3. Fill assemblage type (e.g. primary, secondary)4. Where within the feature or horizontal unit was the sample collected, i.e. on the bottom ofthe hearth, against the wing wall.5. Condition - area burned, disturbed etc.6. Associated sample numbers if multiple samples collected from a context or if a suite ofsamples (e.g. feature fill, surface adjacent to the feature) is collected.C. Copies of the logs should be sent to the analyst. In addition, one should expect to provide ageneral location map, some sort of site map showing sampled proveniences and if possible,profiles of samples features. It is also helpful, when dealing with a lot of samples from a largeexcavation, to provide information on stratigraphy, geomorphology, and the excavator'sunderstanding of the site formation and taphonomy.D. Processing1. This should be obvious, but flotation samples are to be processed by some type of waterseparation technique, not by dry-screening or water screening.2. However, water screening is a recommended technique to recover small scale faunal andlithic materials from features and activity areas. For water screening procedures, first collectflotation, pollen, vegetal and whatever samples as appropriate, then take the remainder of thefill as a whole sample. The bag should be clearly marked as a water screen sample. Processthe sample by placing it in a 1/16th inch screen and hosing out the dirt. The residue in thescreen can be packaged as is, to be sorted by laboratory personnel, or the residue can besorted at the time of water screening and cultural material extracted and packaged, with thenoncultural residue discarded.IX. Analysis and Data ReturnA. There are two levels of sorting/analysis that most macrobotanical analysts utilize for flotationsamples. Archaeological contractors should keep these two methods in mind whenrequesting analysis.1. Scanning. Although execution of this method will differ slightly depending upon theanalyst, scanning provides a rough sort of botanical materials, emphasizing seeds, fromflotation samples. The method is used to assess the level of preservation of botanical remainsfrom the sampled context and usually consists of a quick sort that records presence of taxa,with rough estimate of quantity and condition. Identification of wood may or may not bedone. This sorting method is used for samples that are collected from less well preservedcontexts than optimally desired, but which may still yield significant information. Scanning isquick and cost about 1/2-1/3 of a fully analyzed sample. If the sample appears to have datapotential, the analyst will recommend full analysis.2. Full Sort. This method is complete analysis/sort of the floated residue (light fraction), or arepresentative subsample of the light fraction, and usually a scan of the water screenedresidue (heavy fraction) that is left after the floated material has been retrieved. Full sortimplies taxon and plant part identification of all types of botanical remains recovered,quantification of each taxon and notation of various descriptive information recorded that willassist the analyst in assessing the significance of the remains relative to the sampled contextand the site as a whole. Full sort is better applied to samples that are from contexts with goodto-highintegrity with cultural fill that have the potential to provide good preservation ofbotanical remains.6-57