Motza (Early PPNB)
Basic information
Sample name: Motza (Early PPNB)
Sample aka: Tel Motza
Reference: L. Sapir-Hen, G. Bar-Oz, H. Khalaily, and T. Dayan. 2009. Gazelle exploitation in the early Neolithic site of Motza, Israel: the last of the gazelle hunters in the southern Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science 36(7):1538-1546 [ER 3751]
Geography
Country: Israel
Coordinate: 31° 47' 40" N, 35° 9' 50" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3751
Unit number: 1
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.0105
Min Ma: 0.0101
Age basis: radiocarbon (calibrated)
Geography comments: "Motza is an Early to Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) site located in the Judean Mountains, 5 km west of Jerusalem".
"Layer VI, the Early PPNB stratum, has been dated to 10,500–10,100 cal. BP".
"Layer VI, the Early PPNB stratum, has been dated to 10,500–10,100 cal. BP".
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement
Archaeology: bone tools,hearths,stone tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: "The Neolithic site of Motza was first noted in the 1920s when artefacts including arrowheads, sickle blades and bifaces, were collected during a cursory survey. The first in situ Neolithic remains were discovered in 2000 when a test trench was excavated at the southern margin of the site".
"There were no architectural features except for a few constructed small hearths. Tools, on the other hand, were abundant, including points, sickle blades, bone tools, and a remarkable hafted tool". Other flint tools (axes and knives), a figurine of an ox made of clay, a stone-carved human face, seeds, stone bracelets, and other objects have also been found from the site.
"There were no architectural features except for a few constructed small hearths. Tools, on the other hand, were abundant, including points, sickle blades, bone tools, and a remarkable hafted tool". Other flint tools (axes and knives), a figurine of an ox made of clay, a stone-carved human face, seeds, stone bracelets, and other objects have also been found from the site.
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,lizards,turtles
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 4778 specimens
Years: 2002, 2003
Sampling comments: "Two PPNB strata were uncovered in two seasons of excavation (2002, 2003)".
"The excavation grid was 1 m2, with a depth of 10 cm. Sediment from floors was wet sieved through 1 mm mesh, and material recovered from other areas was dry sieved through 2 mm mesh. Zooarchaeological finds were packed in separate bags that were labelled with the archaeological context".
"The excavation grid was 1 m2, with a depth of 10 cm. Sediment from floors was wet sieved through 1 mm mesh, and material recovered from other areas was dry sieved through 2 mm mesh. Zooarchaeological finds were packed in separate bags that were labelled with the archaeological context".
Metadata
Sample number: 3999
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-10-07 14:18:07
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:58:30
Abundance distribution
18 species
1 singleton
total count 4778
geometric series index: 21.5
Fisher's α: 2.365
geometric series k: 0.6259
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6088
Shannon's H: 1.4566
Good's u: 0.9998
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
Gazella gazella | 2881 | 21 kg |
also 1155 "Body size Gazelle" | ||
Sus scrofa | 358 | 54 kg herbivore |
298 "Body size Sus" | ||
Capra sp. | 144 | |
also 57 Caprinae indet. | ||
†Bos primigenius | 100 | |
also 50 "Body size Bos" | ||
Dama dama mesopotamica | 3 | 62 kg |
"Dama mesopotamica" | ||
Capreolus capreolus | 2 | 22 kg browser |
Vulpes vulpes | 561 | 5.3 kg carnivore-insectivore |
also 412 "Body size Vulpes" | ||
Felis lybica | 154 | |
"Felis silvestris": species assignment based on geography | ||
Martes foina | 17 | 1.3 kg carnivore-frugivore |
Canis lupus | 5 | 43 kg carnivore |
Meles meles | 4 | 11 kg invertivore-herbivore |
Panthera leo | 1 | 147 kg carnivore |
Testudo graeca | 313 | |
Lepus capensis | 181 | |
Sciurus sp. | 28 | |
Spalax sp. | 3 | |
Erinaceus europaeus | 16 | |
Pseudopus apodus | 7 | |
"Ophisaurus apodus" |