Gebel Silsila 2B-I (Afian)
Basic information
Sample name: Gebel Silsila 2B-I (Afian)
Reference: R. Yeshurun. 2018. Taphonomy of old archaeofaunal collections: New site-formation and subsistence data for the Late Paleolithic Nile Valley. Quaternary International 471:35-54 [ER 3709]
Geography
Country: Egypt
State: Aswan
Coordinate: 24° 38' N, 32° 56' E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.0165
Min Ma: 0.0145
Age basis: radiocarbon (calibrated)
Geography comments: The Gebel Silsila (GS) 2B site is located on the Kom Ombo Plain, a widening of the Nile Valley in Upper Egypt, east of the river, located c. 40 km north of Aswan. It lies atop a hill in the northern part of the basin.
"Based on refined radiocarbon chronology and calibration techniques and the correlation with other sites in the Nile Valley, the GS-2B-I (Afian) site is estimated to date to c. 16.5–14.5 ka cal. BP".
"Based on refined radiocarbon chronology and calibration techniques and the correlation with other sites in the Nile Valley, the GS-2B-I (Afian) site is estimated to date to c. 16.5–14.5 ka cal. BP".
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The Kom Ombo Plain is a triangular-shaped sedimentary basin extending c. 30 × 15 km that is filled with Late Pleistocene sediments, both Nilotic sediments resulting from river aggradations and alluvium from the wadis draining into the basin from the east".
"The GS-2B-I excavation provided stratified remains belonging to the flake-oriented Late Paleolithic Afian Culture. There was a clear association of lithics and bones. The site is located on a flood arm active during the high water season, which is reduced to residual channels or pools for the remainder of the year". It likely represents one of "several small, seasonal camps on the bank of a small branch of the Nile".
"Taphonomic analysis indicates that the fauna are anthropogenic and attest to the consumption of predominantly medium and large ungulates, although evidence does suggest there were low levels of animal exploitation and site-occupation intensity".
"The GS-2B-I excavation provided stratified remains belonging to the flake-oriented Late Paleolithic Afian Culture. There was a clear association of lithics and bones. The site is located on a flood arm active during the high water season, which is reduced to residual channels or pools for the remainder of the year". It likely represents one of "several small, seasonal camps on the bank of a small branch of the Nile".
"Taphonomic analysis indicates that the fauna are anthropogenic and attest to the consumption of predominantly medium and large ungulates, although evidence does suggest there were low levels of animal exploitation and site-occupation intensity".
Methods
Life forms: ungulates
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 15 specimens
Years: 1962 - 1965
Sampling comments: "From 1962 to 1965 two prehistoric expeditions initiated salvage investigations of GS sites, one a University of Toronto expedition, the other being the Yale University Prehistoric Expedition to Nubia (YUPEN)".
"The Gebel Silsila area was divided into two adjacent concessions. The Canadian expedition worked at GS-I and GS-III, while the YUPEN investigation took place in the GS-2 portion of the site. The latter (YUPEN) included a survey of a large area in the western part of their concession, named GS-2A, and the collection and excavations in the eastern portion, designated as GS-2B".
"In GS-2B a “complete collection” was made of an area of 10,000 m2 (in 10 × 10 m grid squares) and two soundings were excavated (GS-2B Area I and GS-2B Area II), each having several layers and one archaeological assemblage in situ. It is not known if and to what extent the excavation sediments were screened".
The register below corresponds to the remains uncovered from the GS-2B Area I excavation.
"The Gebel Silsila area was divided into two adjacent concessions. The Canadian expedition worked at GS-I and GS-III, while the YUPEN investigation took place in the GS-2 portion of the site. The latter (YUPEN) included a survey of a large area in the western part of their concession, named GS-2A, and the collection and excavations in the eastern portion, designated as GS-2B".
"In GS-2B a “complete collection” was made of an area of 10,000 m2 (in 10 × 10 m grid squares) and two soundings were excavated (GS-2B Area I and GS-2B Area II), each having several layers and one archaeological assemblage in situ. It is not known if and to what extent the excavation sediments were screened".
The register below corresponds to the remains uncovered from the GS-2B Area I excavation.
Metadata
Sample number: 3923
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-23 16:45:39
Modified: 2022-03-24 05:15:28
Abundance distribution
4 species
1 singleton
total count 15
geometric series index: 7.4
Fisher's α: 1.785
geometric series k: 0.5228
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6238
Shannon's H: 1.1711
Good's u: 0.9417
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | 2 | 143 kg grazer-browser |
| Equus africanus | 1 | 287 kg |
| †Bos primigenius | 7 | |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | 5 | 1107 kg grazer |
| also 9 Ungulata indet. | ||