Gombore II
Basic information
Sample name: Gombore II
Sample aka: Melka Kunture
Reference: R. Gallotti, C. Collina, J.-P. Raynal, G. Kieffer, D. Geraads, and M. Piperno. 2010. The early Middle Pleistocene site of Gombore II (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia) and the issue of Acheulean bifacial shaping strategies. African Archaeological Review 27:291-322 [ER 3861]
Geography
Country: Ethiopia
Coordinate: 8.704733° N, 38.601631° E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.875
Min Ma: 0.709
Age basis: Ar-Ar
Geography comments: based on Fig. 1, the coordinate given by Altamura et al. (2018) for "the area of Melka Kunture" applies to the Gombore cluster of sites and possibly to Gombore II itself, so it is used here
the site "dates to circa the Brunhes Matuyama Reversal" and Altamura et al. (2018) state that it lies between "volcanic sediments dated by 40Ar/39Ar to 0.875 ± 0.010 Ma and 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma, respectively"
the site "dates to circa the Brunhes Matuyama Reversal" and Altamura et al. (2018) state that it lies between "volcanic sediments dated by 40Ar/39Ar to 0.875 ± 0.010 Ma and 0.709 ± 0.013 Ma, respectively"
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: six stratigraphic levels within the lower local unit are described, of which the "0.10 m thick" unit CPB yielded artefacts and fossils; it is a "Clast-supported thin pebble bed" with a "sandy matrix" that represents a fluvial channel
however, some fossils were recovered from the upper local unit at the hippopotamus "Butchering Site" within the larger locality
there are 1753 lithic artefacts in total
however, some fossils were recovered from the upper local unit at the hippopotamus "Butchering Site" within the larger locality
there are 1753 lithic artefacts in total
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,birds
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 421 specimens
Years: 1966 - 1975, 1992 - 1995, 2001
Sampling comments: there are multiple sublocalities excavated in different years, including the Open Air Museum excavated in 2001, but a faunal list is only given for the entire site and all excavations
Altamura et al. (2018) refer the "Homo erectus" material to Homo heidelbergensis
Altamura et al. (2018) refer the "Homo erectus" material to Homo heidelbergensis
Metadata
Sample number: 4234
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-04-19 21:36:19
Modified: 2023-04-19 11:46:24
Abundance distribution
16 species
6 singletons
total count 421
geometric series index: 32.1
Fisher's α: 3.293
geometric series k: 0.6843
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.4836
Shannon's H: 1.1532
Good's u: 0.9858
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| †Homo heidelbergensis | 2 | |
| Hippopotamus cf. amphibius | 296 | 1107 kg grazer |
| †Metridiochoerus ? compactus | 1 | |
| †Giraffa cf. jumae | 1 | |
| †Pelorovis cf. oldowayensis | 34 | |
| Connochaetes taurinus | 8 | 202 kg grazer-browser |
| †Damaliscus niro | 5 | |
| Kobus cf. kob | 3 | 77 kg grazer |
| Kobus sp. | 2 | |
| large | ||
| Gazella sp. | 4 | |
| Diceros bicornis | 1 | 894 kg browser |
| Equidae indet. | 47 | |
| including Hipparion sensu lato and Equus cf. mauritanicum | ||
| Hyaena cf. hyaena | 1 | 30 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Canis sp. | 1 | |
| †Tachyoryctes konjiti | 14 | |
| Tadorna sp. | 1 | |
| compared to | ||