Plant use at Diablo Valdez, Santa Cruz Island: Evidence from macrobotanical and starch grain remains

This paper considers both macrobotanical and starch grain evidence for terrestrial plant use at Diablo Valdez (SCRI-619/620) on Santa Cruz Island, California. This inland site consists of a rock shelter as well as an open-air living space, and was occupied from ca. 5900 years ago and into the Historic period. Macrobotanical remains were recovered from 140 liters of soil, while starch grain analysis was conducted on six bowl fragments. This paper contextualizes these results within a broader discussion of combining macro- and microbotanical evidence from four other sites on Santa Cruz Island. Starch analysis reveals a number of plants not represented in the macrobotanical record, demonstrating the importance of using combining these analyses.