Luxmanda
Basic information
Sample name: Luxmanda
Reference: K. M. Grillo, M. E. Prendergast, D. A. Contreras, T. Fitton, A. O. Gidna, S. T. Goldstein, M. C. Knisley, M. C. Langley, and A. Z. P. Mabulla. 2018. Pastoral Neolithic Settlement at Luxmanda, Tanzania. Journal of Field Archaeology 43(2):102-120 [ER 3702]
Geography
Country: Tanzania
State: Manyara Region
Coordinate: 4° 15' 24" S, 35° 18' 38" E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Holocene
Max Ma: 0.00296
Min Ma: 0.002855
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "The Luxmanda site is located near a village of the same name (in Babati District, Manyara Region, Tanzania), at the southern edge of the Mbulu Plateau, or Mbulu highlands", 8 km north of the Rift escarpment".
Charcoal, bone collagen, and ceramic radiocarbon dates range from 2855 ± 20 BP to 2960 ± 25 BP, roughly 2900-3100 cal. BP.
Charcoal, bone collagen, and ceramic radiocarbon dates range from 2855 ± 20 BP to 2960 ± 25 BP, roughly 2900-3100 cal. BP.
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,midden
Archaeology: burials,ceramics,hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: The site lies under a series of farm plots and represents "a period of relatively continuous occupation by a pastoralist population with multiple hearths in at least one area of the site along with an infant burial".
"Domestic refuse was widely discarded to form dense middens".
Numerous lithics including flakes, blades, other stone tools and ceramics were excavated.
"Domestic refuse was widely discarded to form dense middens".
Numerous lithics including flakes, blades, other stone tools and ceramics were excavated.
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 1421 specimens
Years: 2013, 2015
Sampling comments: "A total of eight trenches were excavated across the site, five in 2013, and a further three in 2015 (subdivided into 1 × 1 m units). In both campaigns, excavation followed natural stratigraphy, subdivided into arbitrary 5 cm spits where exceeding this thickness, or where stratigraphy was not easily detectable".
"All deposits were dry sieved using nested 2 and 5 mm mesh, except for samples selected for bucket flotation, followed by wet sieving. In 2013, flotation samples were taken mainly in the midden deposits. In 2015, flotation samples were taken for one column in each of the three trenches, and also from features of interest".
"After dry sieving, the samples were agitated in water and poured through fabric suspended over 0.5 mm geological sieves. The heavy fraction was then wet sieved through 1 mm mesh".
Due to the size of the faunal assemblage (83 kg), "a sampling strategy was employed whereby about one-fifth of the assemblage (by weight) was examined, including all bone and tooth specimens from contexts deemed high- or medium-priority, and all teeth (at minimum) from low-priority contexts".
"All deposits were dry sieved using nested 2 and 5 mm mesh, except for samples selected for bucket flotation, followed by wet sieving. In 2013, flotation samples were taken mainly in the midden deposits. In 2015, flotation samples were taken for one column in each of the three trenches, and also from features of interest".
"After dry sieving, the samples were agitated in water and poured through fabric suspended over 0.5 mm geological sieves. The heavy fraction was then wet sieved through 1 mm mesh".
Due to the size of the faunal assemblage (83 kg), "a sampling strategy was employed whereby about one-fifth of the assemblage (by weight) was examined, including all bone and tooth specimens from contexts deemed high- or medium-priority, and all teeth (at minimum) from low-priority contexts".
Metadata
Sample number: 3907
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-02 16:07:17
Modified: 2023-09-11 10:49:54
Abundance distribution
15 species
6 singletons
total count 1421
geometric series index: 30.6
Fisher's α: 2.340
geometric series k: 0.6256
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.5470
Shannon's H: 0.9476
Good's u: 0.9958
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Madoqua sp. | 8 | |
| also 2 Neotragini indet. | ||
| Cephalophini indet. | 6 | |
| Alcelaphinae indet. | 5 | |
| "Alcelaphus buselaphus or Damaliscus lunatus" | ||
| Syncerus caffer | 1 | 548 kg grazer-browser |
| Bos taurus | 638 | 337 kg |
| also 3136 Bovidae indet. | ||
| Caprinae indet. | 711 | |
| "Capra hircus or Ovis aries" | ||
| Phacochoerus africanus | 2 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| Potamochoerus larvatus | 1 | 38 kg grazer-browser |
| also 13 Suidae indet. | ||
| Equus africanus asinus | 35 | 287 kg |
| Carnivora indet. | 1 | |
| Hyracoidea indet. | 1 | |
| Lagomorpha indet. | 8 | |
| Hystrix cristata | 1 | 12 kg |
| Muridae indet. | 1 | |
| also 2380 Mammalia indet. | ||