Malowa
Basic information
Sample name: Malowa
Reference: Y. M. Juwayeyi. 2011. Ecological pressure and the transition from foraging to agricultural lifestyle on the Shire Highlands, Malawi. Human Ecology 39:361-371 [ER 3418]
Geography
Country: Malawi
Coordinate: 15° 48' S, 35° 10' E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Holocene
Max Ma: 0.00204
Min Ma: 0.00024
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: on the boundary between the Shire Highlands and the Chilwa-Phalombe plain just east of Blantyre, possibly near Nguludi (basis of coordinate)
the stratigraphy was disturbed by a "scooped-out hollow" that reworked from Early Holocene material
there are eight uncalibrated radiocarbon dates on charcoal for four levels that range from 2040 +/- 90 BP to 240 +/- 40 BP, excluding a date of 8560 +/- 240 that appears to represent the rare reworked material
the stratigraphy was disturbed by a "scooped-out hollow" that reworked from Early Holocene material
there are eight uncalibrated radiocarbon dates on charcoal for four levels that range from 2040 +/- 90 BP to 240 +/- 40 BP, excluding a date of 8560 +/- 240 that appears to represent the rare reworked material
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: ceramics,hearths,metal tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: a rockshelter
there were "pottery, metal, glass beads, and clay pipes in the top four levels" but not in the fifth; all of the mammals other than some ungulates are from these upper levels
"wood, bamboo and reeds as well as seeds of both wild and domesticated plants" are also present
charcoal is mentioned only with reference to the radiocarbon dates
there were "pottery, metal, glass beads, and clay pipes in the top four levels" but not in the fifth; all of the mammals other than some ungulates are from these upper levels
"wood, bamboo and reeds as well as seeds of both wild and domesticated plants" are also present
charcoal is mentioned only with reference to the radiocarbon dates
Methods
Life forms: bats,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,snakes
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 625 specimens
Sampling comments: the original excavation was by Denbow and Ainsworth in the 1960s, but the reported material is from a new excavation
Achatina sp. is also present, but was not counted out
Achatina sp. is also present, but was not counted out
Metadata
Sample number: 3803
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2021-06-11 13:09:30
Modified: 2022-01-20 00:42:38
Abundance distribution
28 species
13 singletons
total count 625
extrapolated richness: 61.3
Fisher's α: 6.018
geometric series k: 0.8102
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7399
Shannon's H: 1.9188
Good's u: 0.9792
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Syncerus caffer | 1 | 548 kg grazer-browser |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus lichtensteinii | 1 | 143 kg grazer-browser |
| "Alcelaphus lichtensteini" | ||
| Sylvicapra grimmia | 1 | 13 kg browser-grazer |
| Kobus ellipsiprymnus | 3 | 210 kg grazer-browser |
| Nesotragus moschatus | 4 | 3.7 kg browser |
| Connochaetes taurinus | 14 | 202 kg grazer-browser |
| Phacochoerus africanus | 66 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| "Phacochoerus aethiopicus" | ||
| Equus quagga burchellii | 62 | 279 kg grazer |
| "Equus burchelli" | ||
| Primates indet. | 1 | |
| Muridae indet. | 294 | |
| Thryonomys swinderianus | 1 | 5.2 kg |
| Tachyoryctes splendens | 1 | |
| Otomys tropicalis | 9 | |
| Cricetomys gambianus | 13 | 1.4 kg frugivore-granivore |
| Gerbilliscus validus | 51 | |
| "Tatera valida" | ||
| Atelerix frontalis | 1 | |
| "Erinaceus frontalis" | ||
| Chiroptera indet. | 1 | |
| Procavia capensis | 15 | 2.8 kg browser |
| Dendrohyrax arboreus | 2 | 2.0 kg browser |
| Heterohyrax brucei | 2 | 2.4 kg browser |
| Crocidura sp. | 57 | |
| Elephantulus brachyrhynchus | 14 | |
| "Macroscelides brachyrhynchus" | ||
| Python sebae | 1 | |
| Psammophis sp. | 6 | |
| Naja melanoleuca | 1 | |
| Chamaeleonidae indet. | 1 | |
| "chameleon" | ||
| Aquila sp. | 1 | |
| Hoplopterus armatus | 1 | |