Wadh Lang'o (Kansyore)
Basic information
Sample name: Wadh Lang'o (Kansyore)
Reference: P. Lane, C. Ashley, O. Seitsonen, P. Harvey, S. Mire, and F. Odede. 2007. The transition to farming in eastern Africa: New faunal and dating evidence from Wadh Lang'o and Usenge, Kenya. Antiquity 81:62-81 [ER 3703]
Geography
Country: Kenya
State: Nyanza
Coordinate: 0° 25' S, 34° 44' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text as range
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3703.1
Unit number: 1
Unit order: below to above
Ma: 0.001989
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "The site of Wadh Lang’o lies at c. 1200 m asl, alongside rapids of the Sondu-Miriu River, which empties into the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, in South Nyanza, Kenya".
The single available radiocarbon date for the lowermost "Kansyore" deposit is 1989 ± 28 BP.
The single available radiocarbon date for the lowermost "Kansyore" deposit is 1989 ± 28 BP.
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement
Archaeology: ceramics,stone tools,other structures
Habitat comments: "The Wadh Lang’o site contains a well-stratified sequence of deposits extending back at least to the pre-ceramic Late Stone Age, with successive layers of Kansyore, Elmenteitan, Urewe, post-Urewe Middle Iron Age (MIA) wares, and historic Luo material, in each case associated with well preserved faunal assemblages".
"The lowermost deposit of silty loam was associated with Kansyore ceramics and contained a piled stone cairn".
In addition to ceramics, various stone tools including cores, microliths, scrapers and blades were also present. Light, shallow cut marks were observed on some bone fragments, as well as evidence of burning.
"The lowermost deposit of silty loam was associated with Kansyore ceramics and contained a piled stone cairn".
In addition to ceramics, various stone tools including cores, microliths, scrapers and blades were also present. Light, shallow cut marks were observed on some bone fragments, as well as evidence of burning.
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,ungulates,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 124 specimens
Years: 2000-2004
Sampling comments: "During initial investigation, eight test-pits, mostly 1 × 1m, were excavated at various localities across the site".
In June and July 2001, a 5 × 5m trench was excavated a few metres upslope from Trench 5, and in 2004, a further two 2 × 2m test pits to the south-west and south-east of the main 2001 excavation were dug.
"All deposits were dry sieved through 5mm mesh sieves".
In June and July 2001, a 5 × 5m trench was excavated a few metres upslope from Trench 5, and in 2004, a further two 2 × 2m test pits to the south-west and south-east of the main 2001 excavation were dug.
"All deposits were dry sieved through 5mm mesh sieves".
Metadata
Sample number: 3908
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-03 13:12:45
Modified: 2023-05-01 00:27:13
Abundance distribution
15 species
3 singletons
total count 124
geometric series index: 24.4
Fisher's α: 4.465
geometric series k: 0.7670
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8017
Shannon's H: 2.0298
Good's u: 0.9759
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Papio sp. | 3 | |
| Redunca redunca | 3 | 44 kg grazer |
| Syncerus caffer | 3 | 548 kg grazer-browser |
| Canis sp. | 1 | |
| Cephalophinae indet. | 2 | |
| Taurotragus oryx | 6 | 393 kg browser-grazer |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | 1 | 143 kg grazer-browser |
| Aepyceros melampus | 3 | 51 kg browser-grazer |
| Caprinae indet. | 41 | |
| "Ovicaprine" | ||
| Eudorcas thomsonii | 12 | 20 kg |
| "Gazella thomsoni" | ||
| Phacochoerus africanus | 1 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| Cyprinidae indet. | 32 | |
| Bagridae indet. | 4 | |
| Cichlidae indet. | 4 | |
| Clariidae indet. | 8 | |