Dig Into History – April 2019

36

THE HIGH-SPEED

ROTATION OF THE

CENTRIFUGE

SEPARATES OUT

THE LIGHTER

POLLEN (WHICH

FLOATS TO THE

TOP OF THE

SAMPLE) FROM

THE WATER AND

THE HEAVIER SOIL

(WHICH SINKS TO

THE BOTTOM).

THESE SAMPLES

ARE SPUN IN A

CENTRIFUGE.

Archaeologists can learn a lot from ancient pollen buried in the soils
IT they excavate.

®

SAMPLES ARE FIRST

TAKEN FROM THE

SOILS AND MIXED

WITH WATER.

illustrated by John Gordon-Swogger

THE POLLEN IS THEN

LOOKED AT UNDER A

MICROSCOPE. EACH

PLANT HAS

DISTINCTIVELY SHAPED

POLLEN, WHICH HELPS

ARCHAEOBOTANISTS

IDENTIFY WHICH PLANTS

WERE GROWING IN THE

PAST. PICTURED HERE,

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT,

ARE: ASH, OAK, AND

SYCAMORE POLLEN.