Boomplaas Cave (Member CL)
Basic information
Sample name: Boomplaas Cave (Member CL)
Reference: J. T. Faith. 2013. Taphonomic and paleoecological change in the large mammal sequence from Boomplaas Cave, western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution 65(6):715-730 [ER 3779]
Geography
Country: South Africa
State: Western Cape
Coordinate: 33° 22' 14" S, 22° 9' 31" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3779
Unit number: 4
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.0142
Min Ma: 0.01206
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Boomplaas Cave is located in the Cango Valley in the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range, north of Oudtshoorn, Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape Province, South Africa".
The CL member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to between 14,200 ± 240 BP and 12,060 ± 105 BP (17,881–13,668 cal. BP).
The CL member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to between 14,200 ± 240 BP and 12,060 ± 105 BP (17,881–13,668 cal. BP).
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: cave,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "Boomplaas Cave contains a stratified sequence of Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA) deposits spanning the last 65,000 years. People were the primary accumulators of the faunal remains in the LSA assemblages younger than ∼18,000 years ago (CL to BLD). In the LSA and MSA deposits dating from 18,000 to 50,000 years ago (BOL to GWA), a combination of humans, carnivores, and raptors accumulated the faunal remains, while the lowermost units were accumulated by carnivores and raptors".
The artifacts associated with the CL Member are classified within the Robberg industry, characterized by high numbers of bladelets and small conical cores.
The artifacts associated with the CL Member are classified within the Robberg industry, characterized by high numbers of bladelets and small conical cores.
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 1192 specimens
Sampled by: H. J. Deacon
Years: 1974 - 1979
Sampling comments: "Excavations were conducted by H.J. Deacon from 1974 to 1979. In 2009 and 2010, taphonomic and taxonomic data were collected on thousands of previously unsorted specimens, in addition to those previously examined. All MSA and LSA units were examined with the exception of the uppermost pastoralist levels (member DGL)".
Metadata
Sample number: 4085
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2023-02-23 13:07:10
Modified: 2023-05-30 04:57:01
Abundance distribution
23 species
2 singletons
total count 1192
geometric series index: 29.3
Fisher's α: 4.042
geometric series k: 0.7600
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7730
Shannon's H: 1.8832
Good's u: 0.9983
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
Lepus capensis | 9 | |
Bunolagus monticularis | 41 | |
also 18 Leporidae indet. | ||
Hystrix africaeaustralis | 4 | 15 kg browser |
Papio ursinus | 19 | 20 kg |
Canis cf. mesomelas | 1 | 7.9 kg carnivore |
Herpestes pulverulentus | 1 | 787 g |
Caracal caracal | 2 | 12 kg carnivore |
"Felis cf caracal" | ||
Procavia capensis | 293 | 2.8 kg browser |
Equus capensis | 15 | |
Equus sp. | 419 | |
zebra/quagga | ||
Suidae indet. | 2 | |
Taurotragus oryx | 55 | 393 kg browser-grazer |
also 15 Tragelaphini indet. | ||
Hippotragus leucophaeus | 11 | |
Hippotragus equinus | 5 | 246 kg grazer |
also 15 Hippotragus sp. | ||
Redunca fulvorufula | 4 | 29 kg |
also 4 Redunca sp. | ||
Alcelaphinae indet. | 11 | |
"Connochaetes/Alcelaphus" | ||
Caprinae indet. | 233 | |
an unknown extinct species | ||
Pelea capreolus | 17 | 16 kg grazer |
Antidorcas cf. marsupialis | 4 | 40 kg browser-grazer |
Oreotragus oreotragus | 17 | browser-grazer |
Raphicerus sp. | 14 | |
also 17 Neotragini indet. | ||
Syncerus antiquus | 4 | |
Syncerus caffer | 11 | 548 kg grazer-browser |
also 2 Syncerus sp. |