A Radiocarbon Dated Pollen Sequence from the Wells Mastodon Site Near Rochester, Indiana

Author Institution: Earlham College and Ohio Wesleyan UniversityA radiocarbon date (1-586, 12,000=fc450) has been obtained from wood beneath a mastodon (Mastodon americanus) in north-central Indiana. The sediment sequence includes 72 inches of marl at the base, overlain by 12 inches of sand, capped by 34 inches of peat. The peat is truncated at the top by fire and cultivation. Pollen spectra from the marl associated with the mastodon burial indicate a predominantly coniferous forest consisting of spruce (Picea), fir (Abies), birch (Betula), and ash (Fraxinus) with small amounts of oak (Quercus), Hickory (Carya), and elm (Ulmus) pollen. Field evidence and pollen data indicate that the animal died prior to the formation of the peat. Correlation of this sequence with other radiocarbon-dated pollen sequences indicates that the mastodon died prior to the replacement of spruce pollen by oak pollen approximately 10,500 years ago. Molluscan data support the inferences derived from the pollen analysis