Widgingarri Rockshelter 1 (Lower Horizon)
Basic information
Sample name: Widgingarri Rockshelter 1 (Lower Horizon)
Reference: S. O'Connor. 1999. 30 000 years of Aboriginal occupation: Kimberley, north west Australia. Terra Australis 14 51-92 [ER 3700]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Western Australia
Coordinate: 15° 48' S, 124° 24' E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3700
Unit number: 1
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.02806
Min Ma: 0.0189
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: The Widgingarri Rockshelters are located in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, near the coast to the north-west of Doubtful Bay, and north of Lizard Island.
Dates for the Lower Horizon of Widgingarri Rockshelter 1 range from 28,060 ± 600 BP near the base of the excavation, to 18,900 ± 1800 BP at the boundary between the Lower Horizon and the upper Shell Horizon.
Dates for the Lower Horizon of Widgingarri Rockshelter 1 range from 28,060 ± 600 BP near the base of the excavation, to 18,900 ± 1800 BP at the boundary between the Lower Horizon and the upper Shell Horizon.
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "Widgingarri Shelter 1 faces 70° east north east. The opening of the shelter is low (<2 m) and the roof declines slightly towards the rear wall... The shelter is 9 m deep and a maximum of 14 m wide".
The sediment of the Lower Horizon (Unit 5) is a light yellowish-red colour, contrasting with the dark reddish-brown unit above.
"The Lower Horizon contains ground flakes which derive from edge-ground hatchets, which were recovered from near the base of the excavation, suggesting the shelter was occupied by 28,000 years ago".
The sediment of the Lower Horizon (Unit 5) is a light yellowish-red colour, contrasting with the dark reddish-brown unit above.
"The Lower Horizon contains ground flakes which derive from edge-ground hatchets, which were recovered from near the base of the excavation, suggesting the shelter was occupied by 28,000 years ago".
Methods
Life forms: rodents,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,snakes,other reptiles
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 84 specimens
Sampling comments: "An area of 5 square metres was excavated to a maximum depth of 112 cm. Excavation was discontinued without reaching bedrock due to the quantity and size of roof fall".
Material was sieved using both 3 mm and 6 mm mesh.
Material was sieved using both 3 mm and 6 mm mesh.
Metadata
Sample number: 3894
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-02-17 14:03:01
Modified: 2023-04-29 06:00:06
Abundance distribution
21 species
10 singletons
total count 84
geometric series index: 55.2
Fisher's α: 8.987
geometric series k: 0.8481
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8445
Shannon's H: 2.3818
Good's u: 0.8815
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Petrogale brachyotis | 14 | |
| Petrogale concinna | 27 | |
| "Peradorcas concinna" | ||
| Petrogale sp. | 3 | |
| "Large"; also 90 Macropodidae indet. | ||
| Isoodon macrourus | 5 | 70.3 g |
| also 3 Isoodon sp. and 16 Peramelidae indet. | ||
| Macrotis sp. | 2 | |
| Petaurus breviceps | 1 | |
| Wyulda squamicaudata | 1 | 1.4 kg folivore-frugivore |
| Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis | 1 | 2.1 kg folivore |
| Dasyurus hallucatus | 1 | 463 g |
| †Thylacinus cynocephalus | 1 | |
| Tachyglossus aculeatus | 1 | 2.9 kg insectivore |
| Zyzomys woodwardi | 1 | |
| Conilurus penicillatus | 4 | |
| Rattus tunneyi | 2 | |
| Mesembriomys macrurus | 3 | |
| also 10 Muridae indet. | ||
| Boidae indet. | 3 | |
| also 24 Serpentes indet. | ||
| Chlamydosaurus kingii | 1 | |
| also 3 Agamidae indet. | ||
| Scincidae indet. | 8 | |
| Varanidae indet. | 3 | |
| also 6 "Lizard" indet. | ||
| Crocodylidae indet. | 1 | |
| Aves indet. | 1 | |