Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL1)
Basic information
Sample name: Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL1)
Sample aka: Twilight Cave
Reference: C. W. Marean. 1992. Hunter to herder: large mammal remains from the hunter-gatherer occupation at Enkapune Ya Muto rock-shelter, Central Rift, Kenya. The African Archaeological Review 10(1):65-127 [ER 3705]
Geography
Country: Kenya
Coordinate: 0° 50' S, 36° 9' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3705
Unit number: 1
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.00339
Min Ma: 0.003125
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Enkapune Ya Muto (EYM), also known as Twilight Cave, is a large enclosed rock-shelter located on a steep slope in a large incised gully on the eastern face of the Mau Escarpment above the Naivasha basin in the Central Rift Valley of Kenya".
Radiocarbon dates for the RBL1 layers range from 3390 ± 70 BP to 3125 ± 185 BP.
Radiocarbon dates for the RBL1 layers range from 3390 ± 70 BP to 3125 ± 185 BP.
Environment
Lithology: ash
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The Mau Escarpment is mostly formed of volcanic ashes and tufts with occasional outcrops of agglomerates and more heavily consolidated lavas. The stratigraphy was complex but the layers were typically distinct and horizontal".
"The six major EYM aggregates preserve various forms of evidence inconsistent with accumulations by porcupines and carnivores, indicating persistent occupation of the shelter by people".
Human accumulation of the remains is "further substantiated by the density of artefacts and the high frequencies of cutmarks on the bones". Stone tools of the Eburran industry, "characterized by geometric and non-geometric microliths produced from narrow blades of obsidian", are present.
"The six major EYM aggregates preserve various forms of evidence inconsistent with accumulations by porcupines and carnivores, indicating persistent occupation of the shelter by people".
Human accumulation of the remains is "further substantiated by the density of artefacts and the high frequencies of cutmarks on the bones". Stone tools of the Eburran industry, "characterized by geometric and non-geometric microliths produced from narrow blades of obsidian", are present.
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,ungulates,other large mammals
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 19 specimens
Sampling comments: "The site was excavated during the two field seasons in 18 1-m squares, placed primarily in the northern section of the rock-shelter. The depth of the deposits, over 5 m, along with a rock shelf warranted reduction of the area excavated in the deeper deposits".
Metadata
Sample number: 3914
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-07 12:44:01
Modified: 2023-05-29 23:33:35
Abundance distribution
11 species
7 singletons
total count 19
geometric series index: 48.4
Fisher's α: 10.902
geometric series k: 0.8706
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8626
Shannon's H: 2.2148
Good's u: 0.6429
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Bos taurus | 2 | 337 kg |
| Caprinae indet. | 4 | |
| "sheep/goat" | ||
| Ourebia ourebi | 1 | 14 kg grazer-browser |
| Raphicerus campestris | 1 | 9.7 kg browser-grazer |
| Redunca sp. | 1 | |
| "bohor/mountain reedbuck" | ||
| Sylvicapra grimmia | 4 | 13 kg browser-grazer |
| Tragelaphus scriptus | 2 | 31 kg browser-grazer |
| also 129 Bovidae indet. | ||
| Leptailurus serval | 1 | 10 kg carnivore |
| "Felis serval" | ||
| Chlorocebus aethiops | 1 | frugivore-folivore |
| "Cercopithecus aethiops" | ||
| Papio sp. | 1 | |
| Procaviidae indet. | 1 | |