Boomplaas Cave (Member BP)
Basic information
Sample name: Boomplaas Cave (Member BP)

Reference: J. T. Faith. 2013. Taphonomic and paleoecological change in the large mammal sequence from Boomplaas Cave, western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution 65(6):715-730 [ER 3779]
Geography
Country: South Africa

State: Western Cape



Coordinate: 33° 22' 14" S, 22° 9' 31" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Late Pleistocene

Section: 3779

Unit number: 9

Unit order: above to below

Max Ma: 0.03392

Min Ma: 0.0324

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Boomplaas Cave is located in the Cango Valley in the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range, north of Oudtshoorn, Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape Province, South Africa".
The BP member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to between 33,920 ± 770 and 32,400 ± 700 BP (40,635-36,065 cal. BP).

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: bird accumulation,carnivore accumulation,cave,human accumulation

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "Boomplaas Cave contains a stratified sequence of Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA) deposits spanning the last 65,000 years. People were the primary accumulators of the faunal remains in the LSA assemblages younger than ∼18,000 years ago (CL to BLD). In the LSA and MSA deposits dating from 18,000 to 50,000 years ago (BOL to GWA), a combination of humans, carnivores, and raptors accumulated the faunal remains, while the lowermost units were accumulated by carnivores and raptors".
The lithic assemblage of the BOL and BP Members are made primarily of quartzite and include long flake blades with lateral retouch on the main flake surface.

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 141 specimens

Sampled by: H. J. Deacon

Years: 1974 - 1979

Sampling comments: "Excavations were conducted by H.J. Deacon from 1974 to 1979. In 2009 and 2010, taphonomic and taxonomic data were collected on thousands of previously unsorted specimens, in addition to those previously examined. All MSA and LSA units were examined with the exception of the uppermost pastoralist levels (member DGL)".

Metadata
Sample number: 4090

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2023-02-23 13:26:41

Modified: 2023-05-30 04:56:47

Abundance distribution
18 species
3 singletons
total count 141
geometric series index: 28.1
Fisher's α: 5.477
geometric series k: 0.8004
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8558
Shannon's H: 2.3539
Good's u: 0.9791
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Lepus capensis1
Bunolagus monticularis16
also 8 Leporidae indet.
Papio ursinus620 kg
Caracal caracal112 kg carnivore
"Felis cf caracal"
Panthera pardus133 kg carnivore
Procavia capensis442.8 kg browser
Equus sp.12
zebra/quagga
Taurotragus oryx2393 kg browser-grazer
also 2 Tragelaphini indet.
Hippotragus sp.2
Redunca fulvorufula229 kg
Alcelaphus buselaphus2143 kg grazer-browser
Connochaetes cf. taurinus6202 kg grazer-browser
Connochaetes cf. gnou6 grazer
Damaliscus pygargus1183 kg grazer-browser
"Damaliscus dorcas", also 69 Alcelaphinae indet.
Caprinae indet.3
an unknown extinct species
Pelea capreolus1316 kg grazer
Oreotragus oreotragus7 browser-grazer
Raphicerus sp.6
also 2 Neotragini indet.