Zaraa Uul (Locus 2)
Basic information
Sample name: Zaraa Uul (Locus 2)

Reference: L. Janz, A. M. Rosen, D. Bukhchuluun, and D. Odsuren. 2021. Zaraa Uul: An archaeological record of Pleistocene-Holocene palaeoecology in the Gobi Desert. PloS One 16:e0249848 [ER 3794]
Geography
Country: Mongolia

State: Sükhbaatar


Coordinate: 46° 12' 18" N, 111° 48' 36" E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3794

Unit number: 2

Unit order: below to above

Max Ma: 0.007607

Min Ma: 0.00658

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Zaraa Uul is a Neolithic occupation located in the desert-steppe transitional zone of eastern Mongolia in the Tuvshinshiree district, Sükhbaatar Province".
Radiocarbon dates for Locus 2 range from 7,607 to 6,580 BP (~8500–7500 cal. BP).

Environment
Lithology: sandstone

Taphonomic context: human accumulation

Archaeology: ceramics,stone tools,other artifacts

Habitat comments: "The site sits at the edge of an extensive in-filled basin, bounded by uplifted, folded terrestrial conglomerates and extrusive basalt flows, composed of incised Pleistocene marl from the remains of a vast saline paleolake".
"Within the main area of occupation there are several overlapping scatters of lithic assemblages spanning the lower edge of the hillslope. The artifact assemblage is consistent with Oasis 2 (8000–5000 cal, BP); it is dominated by microblade core reduction strategies, complimented by the use of flake cores, while unifacial and bifacial chipped projectile points, pottery, groundstone milling tools, and chipped adzes were all present. The majority of fauna were certainly deposited as a result of human activity".

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,frogs

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 169 specimens

Sampling comments: "A total of 26 m2 was excavated in Zaraa Uul Locus 2. All sediment was sieved using a 3 mm mesh. Each grid was laid out on a north-east to south-west axis, set parallel to the orientation of the local basin-range landforms. Small bone and seemingly undiagnostic fragments were collected, along with bone from the sieve. Artifacts and diagnostic or larger bone fragments were mapped in three dimensions within the grid using a string, line level and datum (10 cm above ground surface)".

Metadata
Sample number: 4126

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2023-02-25 13:21:42

Modified: 2023-05-30 05:43:19

Abundance distribution
18 species
8 singletons
total count 169
geometric series index: 40.8
Fisher's α: 5.098
geometric series k: 0.7837
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7729
Shannon's H: 1.8900
Good's u: 0.9527
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Homo sapiens164 kg
Marmota sibirica63
10 Rodentia indet.
Lepus tolai33
Ochotona sp.3
2 Lagomorpha indet.
Nyctereutes procyonoides24.2 kg invertivore-frugivore
Vulpes sp.6
Meles leucurus16.0 kg
Martes sp.1
3 Carnivora indet.
Equus sp.35
Bos primigenius3
27 Bovidae indet.
Caprinae indet.5
"Ovis ammon or Capra sibirica"
Antilopinae indet.8
Capreolus pygargus3
3 Cervidae indet.
Sus scrofa154 kg herbivore
Accipitridae indet.1
Phasianus colchicus11.3 kg granivore
Columba sp.1
Anura indet.1