Sehonghong (ALP)
Basic information
Sample name: Sehonghong (ALP)
Reference: I. Plug and P. Mitchell. 2008. Sehonghong: hunter-gatherer utilization of animal resources in the highlands of Lesotho. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 45:31-53 [ER 3742]
Geography
Country: Lesotho
State: Thaba-Tseka
Coordinate: 29° 46' S, 28° 47' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3742
Unit number: 3
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.00729
Min Ma: 0.00701
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Sehonghong is a large rock-shelter on the banks of the Sehonghong River, close to its confluence with the Senqu (Orange/Gariep) in the Thaba Tseka District of the highlands of Lesotho. The site lies at an elevation of 1800 m above sea level".
"Layer ALP produced four highly similar radiocarbon dates ranging from 7290 ± 80 BP to 7010 ± 70 BP, with a mean value of 7150 BP".
"Layer ALP produced four highly similar radiocarbon dates ranging from 7290 ± 80 BP to 7010 ± 70 BP, with a mean value of 7150 BP".
Environment
Lithology: ash
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: hearths,stone tools,other structures
Habitat comments: "Layer ALP (Ashy Loam with Plants) consists of a series of predominantly reddish-brown or black ashy loams, many of which contain partly humified plant remains. It contained one pit and two shallow hearths, along with a ‘later Oakhurst’ lithic assemblage, featuring many retouched tools".
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,snakes,turtles,frogs,fishes,clams,snails
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 1287 specimens
Sampled by: P. Mitchell
Years: 1992
Sampling comments: "The primary excavation of the site was conducted by P. Mitchell in 1992. All sediment removed from the deposits was dry-sieved through a 1.5 mm mesh".
For Layer ALP, "188 buckets of deposit were removed in 39 units".
For Layer ALP, "188 buckets of deposit were removed in 39 units".
Metadata
Sample number: 3981
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-25 13:25:17
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:41:18
Abundance distribution
39 species
8 singletons
total count 1287
geometric series index: 57.5
Fisher's α: 7.589
geometric series k: 0.8671
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.9010
Shannon's H: 2.6831
Good's u: 0.9938
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
Papio hamadryas | 123 | 12 kg |
Vulpes chama | 1 | 2.7 kg carnivore-frugivore |
Canis mesomelas | 4 | 7.9 kg carnivore |
Suricata suricatta | 1 | 663 g invertivore-carnivore |
also 6 Herpestidae indet. | ||
Proteles cristatus | 1 | 9.1 kg insectivore |
Caracal caracal | 6 | 12 kg carnivore |
Felis lybica | 2 | |
"Felis silvestris"; also 1 Felis sp. and 7 Carnivora indet. | ||
Equus quagga | 30 | 279 kg grazer |
Procavia capensis | 225 | 2.8 kg browser |
Phacochoerus africanus | 4 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
Connochaetes gnou | 44 | grazer |
Alcelaphus buselaphus | 13 | 143 kg grazer-browser |
also 2 Alcelaphinae indet. | ||
Sylvicapra grimmia | 3 | 13 kg browser-grazer |
Antidorcas marsupialis | 4 | 40 kg browser-grazer |
Oreotragus oreotragus | 115 | browser-grazer |
Ourebia ourebi | 4 | 14 kg grazer-browser |
Raphicerus campestris | 37 | 9.7 kg browser-grazer |
Pelea capreolus | 107 | 16 kg grazer |
Hippotragus cf. leucophaeus | 1 | |
Taurotragus oryx | 32 | 393 kg browser-grazer |
"Tragelaphus oryx" | ||
Redunca arundinum | 1 | grazer |
Redunca fulvorufula | 7 | 29 kg |
also 817 Bovidae indet. | ||
Pedetes capensis | 2 | 2.4 kg |
Hystrix africaeaustralis | 15 | 15 kg browser |
Otomys sp. | 59 | |
Cryptomys sp. | 3 | |
also 62 Rodentia indet. | ||
Pronolagus sp. | 1 | |
Lepus saxatilis | 29 | 2.0 kg |
also 3 Lepus sp. and 81 Lagomorpha indet. | ||
Struthio camelus | 1 | 111 kg grazer-browser |
Scleroptila cf. afra | 3 | |
"Scleroptila cf. africanus"; also 62 Aves indet. | ||
Testudinidae indet. | 1 | |
"Tortoise" | ||
Serpentes indet. | 16 | |
Pseudocordylus sp. | 2 | |
also 16 Lacertilia indet. | ||
Anura indet. | 22 | |
"Frog/toad" | ||
Achatina sp. | 105 | |
also 16 Gastropoda indet.: including 1 "Bulinus/Succinea" | ||
Unio caffer | 9 | |
also 33 Unionidae indet. | ||
Labeobarbus aeneus | 226 | |
Labeo capensis | 13 | |
also 472 Labeoninae indet. | ||
Austroglanis sclateri | 15 |