Chap I
Basic information
Sample name: Chap I

Reference: E. Ananyevskaya, M. Buckley, M. Pal Chowdhury, K. Tabaldiev, and G. Motuzaite Matuzeviciute. 2021. Specialized wool production economy of prehistoric farmstead of Chap I in the highlands of Central Tian Shan (Kyrgyzstan). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 31(1):18-28 [ER 3757]
Geography
Country: Kyrgyzstan


Coordinate: 42° 10' 51" N, 75° 51' 3" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Holocene

Max Ma: 0.002863

Min Ma: 0.002646

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Chap I is a farmstead located at 2000 masl in the Tian Shan Mountains, roughly 200 km southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in the Kochkor Valley".
Several radiocarbon dates from the site suggest that it was occupied from around 1,065–787 cal. BC.

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement

Archaeology: bone tools,ceramics,hearths,metal tools,stone tools,other structures

Habitat comments: "The excavation revealed a multiple-use fireplace located inside a main structure, an area encompassing the structure/living space, and nearby pits outside the main structure. The oldest feature is the fireplace, which is c. 60 cm thick in depth. The structure that contains the fireplace was dug slightly into the slope. The interior of the structure contained a dark layer with a high concentration of pottery sherds and food waste of cultivated plants and animal bones. The fill of the structure contained the highest concentration of artifacts at the site, including stone tools and pottery. A bronze arrow point was also recovered".
"Outside of the structure, a yellow-grey layer rich in ash and charcoal also contained cultural material. Another area in the exterior of the structure was characterized by several pits and a dense concentration of charcoal. In layers above the structure, there was a stone concentration interpreted as a wall-fall. Some of the walls were also associated with the remains of a possible animal corral".
"The stone tools excavated at Chap comprise three main categories: grinding stones, sickles or stone knives, and fragmented stone tools of undefined function. Roughly 1000 highly fragmented potsherds were collected, all handmade and of a coarse ware. A small part of a Turkic kurgan excavated in 1992 was also uncovered".

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,ungulates,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 1349 specimens

Years: 2018

Sampling comments: "The 2018 excavation trench at Chap measured 6.5 × 6.5 m. Excavation followed a context system for identifying stratigraphic layers according to changes in sediment, stone accumulation, and density of archaeological materials".
"Sediments were were dry-sieved on-site through a 3 mm screen to collect smaller artifacts and fragments of skeletal remains".

Metadata
Sample number: 4008

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-10-13 17:33:11

Modified: 2022-10-13 06:44:16

Abundance distribution
6 species
0 singletons
total count 1349
geometric series index: 6.5
Fisher's α: 0.809
geometric series k: 0.3484
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.4432
Shannon's H: 0.8722
Good's u: 1.0000
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Caprinae indet.974
"Ovis/Capra"
Bos taurus234337 kg
Equus sp.79
Canis sp.5
also 1 Canidae indet.
Lepus sp.52
likely Lepus tolai
Soricidae indet.5