Muhkai II (layer 80)
Basic information
Sample name: Muhkai II (layer 80)
Reference: D. V. Ozherelyev. 2019. The Oldowan site of Muhkai II, layer 80 (northeastern Caucasus): Spatial structure and cultural and chronological attribution of the lithic assemblage. L'anthropologie 123:216-232 [ER 3862]
Geography
Country: Russia
Coordinate: 42.25° N, 47.35° E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Formation: Akushinsky
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Max Ma: 2.1
Min Ma: 1.68
Age basis: zone
Geography comments: "in the present-day valley of the Akusha river", shown as immediately west of Usisha in Inner Dagestan (coordinate estimated based on Fig. 1B)
the entire section has reversed polarity and belongs to the Matuyama Chron and layer 80 is below the Olduvai or Gilsa even, so it is at least 1.68 Ma and at most 2.58 Ma old; a younger maximum of 2.1 Ma is favoured based on vole biochronology
the entire section has reversed polarity and belongs to the Matuyama Chron and layer 80 is below the Olduvai or Gilsa even, so it is at least 1.68 Ma and at most 2.58 Ma old; a younger maximum of 2.1 Ma is favoured based on vole biochronology
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "archaeological finds were recovered in 30 layers at different levels, and osseous mammal remains were also found in four layers"
layer 80 is "within a stratum of loams... Layer 80a consists of pebbles with a sandy-clay fill... Layer 80b is made up of a brownish loam containing large carbonate concretions and crusts"
the deposits are "lacustrine-estuarine and fluvial" and the fossiliferous levels represent "stages where there were open dry areas that were actively used by ancient humans"; most fossils are from a "channel"
the fossils are mostly "in situ" with minimal transport
"No gnawing or root traces were identified" and there was "intensive mammal butchery" based on shattering of the bones, but no cut marks are mentioned
there are 1094 stone artefacts
layer 80 is "within a stratum of loams... Layer 80a consists of pebbles with a sandy-clay fill... Layer 80b is made up of a brownish loam containing large carbonate concretions and crusts"
the deposits are "lacustrine-estuarine and fluvial" and the fossiliferous levels represent "stages where there were open dry areas that were actively used by ancient humans"; most fossils are from a "channel"
the fossils are mostly "in situ" with minimal transport
"No gnawing or root traces were identified" and there was "intensive mammal butchery" based on shattering of the bones, but no cut marks are mentioned
there are 1094 stone artefacts
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,lizards,frogs
Sample size: 206 specimens
Years: 2010 - 2013
Sampling comments: excavations were carried out in 2008 - 2013, but ones weren't found until 2009 and layer 80 wasn't excavated until 2010
27 small vertebrate bones were recovered but counts are not given by Ozherelyev (2019): these include frog bones, lizards, two teeth of Apodemus sylvaticus, and an unspecified plural count of Mimomys sp.
however, Ozherelyev et al. (2016, Quaternary International) give exact counts for the small vertebrates that are used here
this material was described by Sablin et al. (2013, Russian Archaeology 2013, 4, :7-19) but the paper cannot be accessed online
27 small vertebrate bones were recovered but counts are not given by Ozherelyev (2019): these include frog bones, lizards, two teeth of Apodemus sylvaticus, and an unspecified plural count of Mimomys sp.
however, Ozherelyev et al. (2016, Quaternary International) give exact counts for the small vertebrates that are used here
this material was described by Sablin et al. (2013, Russian Archaeology 2013, 4, :7-19) but the paper cannot be accessed online
Metadata
Sample number: 4235
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-04-20 09:04:43
Modified: 2023-04-19 23:14:19
Abundance distribution
14 species
1 singleton
total count 206
geometric series index: 18.7
Fisher's α: 3.397
geometric series k: 0.7212
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7990
Shannon's H: 1.9778
Good's u: 0.9952
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Canis etruscus | 5 | |
| Vulpes alopecoides | 8 | |
| Pliocrocuta perrieri | 5 | |
| Megantereon cultridens | 2 | |
| Mammuthus meridionalis | 1 | |
| "Archidiskodon meridionalis" | ||
| Equus (Allohippus) stenonis | 70 | |
| Palaeotragus inexspectatus | 3 | |
| "Palaeotragus priasovicus": see Athanassiou (2014) | ||
| Eucladoceros ctenoides | 51 | |
| "Eucladoceros senezensis": see van der Made and Dimitrijevic (2015) | ||
| Gazellospira torticornis | 18 | |
| Gallogoral meneghinii | 18 | |
| Apodemus sylvaticus | 2 | |
| Mimomys sp. | 10 | |
| also one indeterminate murid and one other indeterminate rodent | ||
| Anura indet. | 10 | |
| Squamata indet. | 3 | |
| "Lacertilia" | ||