Chagyrskaya Cave (Layer 5)
Basic information
Sample name: Chagyrskaya Cave (Layer 5)
Reference: N. Rudaya, S. Vasiliev, B. Viola, S. Talamo, and S. Markin. 2017. Palaeoenvironments during the period of the Neanderthals settlement in Chagyrskaya cave (Altai Mountains, Russia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 467:265-276 [ER 3736]
Geography
Country: Russia
State: Altai Republic
Coordinate: 51° 26' 34" N, 83° 9' 18" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3736
Unit number: 1
Unit order: above to below
Ma: 0.03376
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Chagyrskaya Cave is situated on the left bank of the Charysh River in the mountain branches of the Tigirek Range, Altai Mountains, Russia. The cave faces north and is elevated 25 m above the river level".
Layer 5 is radiocarbon dated to 33,760 ± 170 BP (38,690 – 37,670 cal. BP). This stratum "appears to reflect MIS3 (Karginski) interstadial".
Layer 5 is radiocarbon dated to 33,760 ± 170 BP (38,690 – 37,670 cal. BP). This stratum "appears to reflect MIS3 (Karginski) interstadial".
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: cave,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The cave consists of two chambers of approximately 130 m2. There are seven lithological units in total containing Holocene (1-4) and Pleistocene strata (5–7). The upper part of the Pleistocene deposits is mostly composed of sub-aerial sediments including two layers of loess-like sediments (strata 5 and 6)".
"More than 70,000 artefacts were unevenly dispersed over the middle and upper Pleistocene sediments. The composition of the lithic industries is similar across strata, although the richest lithic assemblages were found in Layer 6".
"The main lithic categories are flakes, chips and tools. Blades, bifacial thinning chips, cores, and core and bifacial preforms are rare".
"The cave was used as a base camp for the butchering and processing of hunted game by Neanderthals".
"More than 70,000 artefacts were unevenly dispersed over the middle and upper Pleistocene sediments. The composition of the lithic industries is similar across strata, although the richest lithic assemblages were found in Layer 6".
"The main lithic categories are flakes, chips and tools. Blades, bifacial thinning chips, cores, and core and bifacial preforms are rare".
"The cave was used as a base camp for the butchering and processing of hunted game by Neanderthals".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,frogs,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 1765 specimens
Years: 2007 - 2013
Sampling comments: "The fossils from Chagyrskaya Cave were recovered over seven years of excavations (2007–2013) and consist of 195,800 specimens. Fossils that can be identified to the species, genus, or class level comprise only 3.4% of the total assemblage". No additional excavation details are given.
Metadata
Sample number: 3968
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-13 11:35:28
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:18:24
Abundance distribution
38 species
3 singletons
total count 1765
geometric series index: 46.1
Fisher's α: 6.838
geometric series k: 0.8565
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.9075
Shannon's H: 2.7905
Good's u: 0.9983
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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