Tolbor-21 (AH4)
Basic information
Sample name: Tolbor-21 (AH4)
Reference: E. P. Rybin, C. H. Paine, A. M. Khatsenovich, B. Tsedendorj, S. Talamo, D. V. Marchenko, W. Rendu, A. M. Klementiev, D. Odsuren, J. C. Gillam, B. Gunchinsuren, and N. Zwyns. 2020. A new Upper Paleolithic occupation at the site of Tolbor-21 (Mongolia): Site formation, human behavior and implications for the regional sequence. Quaternary International 559:133-149 [ER 3737]
Geography
Country: Mongolia
Coordinate: 49° 15' 47" N, 102° 57' 28" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.03815
Min Ma: 0.03725
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Tolbor-21 is in the middle of the valley of the Great Tolbor River, at 1089 m asl, 12 km away from the confluence with the Selenga River in northern Mongolia. It lies on a fan-shaped slope formed by polygenetic sediments c. 500 m to the west of, and 40 m above, the current level of the Tolbor".
Radiocarbon dates for Archaeological Horizon 4 (AH4) range from 38,150 ± 240 BP to 37,250 ± 220 BP, or around 42.7 ka to 41.4 ka cal. BP.
Radiocarbon dates for Archaeological Horizon 4 (AH4) range from 38,150 ± 240 BP to 37,250 ± 220 BP, or around 42.7 ka to 41.4 ka cal. BP.
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: aeolian deposit,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "In general, the deposits comprise reworked aeolian silt with locally-derived sand. AH4 is specifically composed of "sandy soliflucted silt with gravel and cobbles (30–40 cm)".
While an "episode of solifluction can be seen to affect the AH4 deposits, these events seldom involve sediments of more than one or two lithological units, limiting mixing and leaving the stratigraphic succession broadly intact".
"The AH4 lithic assemblage consists of blades, core preforms, core tablets and unretouched blanks; there is a high frequency of retouched flakes and the occurrence of bladelet technology".
"The faunal remains from AH4 suggest a relatively long surface exposure in contact with vegetation. The resulting taphonomic bias may account for the lack of evidence for carnivore activity. However, human modifications including butchery of partial carcasses, and marrow or grease extraction, are important enough to survive this biasing effect".
While an "episode of solifluction can be seen to affect the AH4 deposits, these events seldom involve sediments of more than one or two lithological units, limiting mixing and leaving the stratigraphic succession broadly intact".
"The AH4 lithic assemblage consists of blades, core preforms, core tablets and unretouched blanks; there is a high frequency of retouched flakes and the occurrence of bladelet technology".
"The faunal remains from AH4 suggest a relatively long surface exposure in contact with vegetation. The resulting taphonomic bias may account for the lack of evidence for carnivore activity. However, human modifications including butchery of partial carcasses, and marrow or grease extraction, are important enough to survive this biasing effect".
Methods
Life forms: rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 21 specimens
Years: 2014 - 2017
Sampling comments: "Excavations were conducted between 2014 and 2017. The excavation consisted of four pits and two test pits along the slope, at an elevation of c. 25–28 m from the bottom of the gully".
"All artifacts larger than 20 mm, including bones and specific finds like pieces of ochre, were piece-plotted. We plotted every rock over 250 mm, and the surface of each layer".
In a 1 m2-grid system, we excavated c. 30–50 mm thick spits in sub-units of 50 × 50 cm within identifiable sedimentary units, which roughly corresponds to a bucket (8–10 L) of sediments. We plotted every bucket before dry sieving the content with 2 and 4 mm mesh".
"All artifacts larger than 20 mm, including bones and specific finds like pieces of ochre, were piece-plotted. We plotted every rock over 250 mm, and the surface of each layer".
In a 1 m2-grid system, we excavated c. 30–50 mm thick spits in sub-units of 50 × 50 cm within identifiable sedimentary units, which roughly corresponds to a bucket (8–10 L) of sediments. We plotted every bucket before dry sieving the content with 2 and 4 mm mesh".
Metadata
Sample number: 3970
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-15 11:12:01
Modified: 2022-08-15 01:20:17
Abundance distribution
7 species
4 singletons
total count 21
geometric series index: 22.3
Fisher's α: 3.677
geometric series k: 0.6813
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6833
Shannon's H: 1.4988
Good's u: 0.8142
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Struthio sp. | 5 | |
| Marmota sibirica | 1 | |
| 14 Rodentia indet. | ||
| Ochotona sp. | 2 | |
| †Coelodonta antiquitatis | 1 | |
| Equus hemionus | 1 | grazer |
| Equus ferus | 10 | 422 kg |
| 3 Equidae indet. | ||
| †Bos baikalensis | 1 | |
| 2 Bovini indet. | ||