Mezmaiskaya Cave (Layer 2)
Basic information
Sample name: Mezmaiskaya Cave (Layer 2)
Reference: G. Baryshnikov, J. F. Hoffecker, and R. L. Burgess. 1996. Palaeontology and zooarchaeology of Mezmaiskaya Cave (Northwestern Caucasus, Russia). Journal of Archaeological Science 23(3):313-335 [ER 3740]
Geography
Country: Russia
State: Adygea
Coordinate: 44° 10' N, 40° 5' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3740
Unit number: 1
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.0396
Min Ma: 0.0391
Age basis: ESR
Geography comments: "Mezmaiskaya Cave is located in the northwestern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, approximately 50 km south of the city of Maikop in the Azish-Tau Range, which is part of the Lagonak Upland. The site overlooks the right bank of the Sukhoi Kurdzhips (a small tributary of the Kurdzhips River), and lies at an elevation of 1300–1350 m"
JA: there are mean ESR dates on three teeth from this layer of 39.1 ± 2.3 ka (early uptake) and 39.6 ± 2.3 (late uptake) (Skinner et al. 2005)
JA: there are mean ESR dates on three teeth from this layer of 39.1 ± 2.3 ka (early uptake) and 39.6 ± 2.3 (late uptake) (Skinner et al. 2005)
Environment
Lithology: claystone
Taphonomic context: bird accumulation,carnivore accumulation,cave,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "Mezmaiskaya Cave contains a deep succession of rubble and clay deposits that span much of the Late Pleistocene"
this layer consists of "Dark yellowish brown... clay loam with small to large angular rocks and pebbles" and "Contains Mousterian arefacts"
Layers 2, 2A, 2B, and 3 yielded hundreds of Mousterian artefacts. The assemblages contain few cores and a high proportion of tools. In the upper levels (Layers 2 and 2A), bifacial tools are rare, and side-scrapers are heavily predominant"
"Most of the faunal remains were deposited through biotic processes; they represent animals that either inhabited the cave or were brought to the cave by its inhabitants. The large quantity of microvertebrate remains were likely accumulated primarily by owls. Some of the macrovertebrate remains probably represent the prey of carnivores (particularly leopard). However, the bulk of the medium and large mammal remains in the Mousterian occupation layers match the characteristics of an assemblage accumulated by human hunters"
this layer consists of "Dark yellowish brown... clay loam with small to large angular rocks and pebbles" and "Contains Mousterian arefacts"
Layers 2, 2A, 2B, and 3 yielded hundreds of Mousterian artefacts. The assemblages contain few cores and a high proportion of tools. In the upper levels (Layers 2 and 2A), bifacial tools are rare, and side-scrapers are heavily predominant"
"Most of the faunal remains were deposited through biotic processes; they represent animals that either inhabited the cave or were brought to the cave by its inhabitants. The large quantity of microvertebrate remains were likely accumulated primarily by owls. Some of the macrovertebrate remains probably represent the prey of carnivores (particularly leopard). However, the bulk of the medium and large mammal remains in the Mousterian occupation layers match the characteristics of an assemblage accumulated by human hunters"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 394 specimens
Years: 1987 - 1994
Sampling comments: "Excavations at the cave were conducted during 1987–1994, exposing a total area of approximately 30 m2".
"Cave sediment was excavated by natural stratigraphic layer (subdivided by 5 cm levels) with small knives, and water-sieved (mesh sizes of 3 and 1 mm)"
"small salmonid fish" are present in this layer, but not amphibians or reptiles
"Cave sediment was excavated by natural stratigraphic layer (subdivided by 5 cm levels) with small knives, and water-sieved (mesh sizes of 3 and 1 mm)"
"small salmonid fish" are present in this layer, but not amphibians or reptiles
Metadata
Sample number: 4394
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-12-04 14:36:12
Modified: 2023-12-04 05:14:47
Abundance distribution
20 species
7 singletons
total count 394
geometric series index: 40.2
Fisher's α: 4.450
geometric series k: 0.7451
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.5150
Shannon's H: 1.3040
Good's u: 0.9823
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Aegypius monachus | 1 | |
| Columba livia | 1 | 369 g granivore |
| Pyrrhocorax graculus | 4 | |
| Emberiza sp. | 1 | |
| Sorex sp. | 18 | |
| Spalax microphthalmus | 2 | |
| Nothocricetulus migratorius | 2 | |
| "Cricetulus migratorius" | ||
| Arvicola sp. | 9 | |
| Chionomys nivalis | 51 | |
| Microtus (Terricola) sp. | 11 | |
| "Terricola ex gr. majori-daghestanicus" | ||
| Microtus arvalis | 268 | |
| †Marmota paleocaucasica | 2 | |
| Vulpes vulpes | 1 | 5.3 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| †Ursus kudarensis | 2 | |
| "Ursus deningeri kudarensis" | ||
| Sus scrofa | 1 | 54 kg herbivore |
| †Bison priscus | 5 | |
| Saiga tatarica | 1 | 28 kg |
| Capra caucasica | 5 | |
| Ovis sp. | 8 | |
| "Ovis orientalis": mouflon or urial; plus 60 Capra or Ovis | ||
| †Homo neanderthalensis | 1 | |
| an infant from layer 2 that penetrated into lower layers: see also Skinner et al. (2005) | ||