Samples for pollen analysis were cut from freshly cleaned excavation sections. They were taken at one or two centimetre intervals through the buried soils and the reave bank. Towards the top of each section samples were taken at five centimetre intervals.

The position of each of the sample columns taken is recorded on the drawn sections in the excavation archive. Diagramatic sections showing major stratigraphie boundaries are included with each pollen diagram. Detailed descriptions of soil characters at different points along the reave are given in the accompanying soil report by Dr Macphail. The pollen profiles to which the descriptions relate are indicated in the soil report.