Sehonghong (RF)
Basic information
Sample name: Sehonghong (RF)
Reference: I. Plug and P. Mitchell. 2008. Sehonghong: hunter-gatherer utilization of animal resources in the highlands of Lesotho. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 45:31-53 [ER 3742]
Geography
Country: Lesotho
State: Thaba-Tseka
Coordinate: 29° 46' S, 28° 47' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3742
Unit number: 6
Unit order: above to below
Ma: 0.01218
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Sehonghong is a large rock-shelter on the banks of the Sehonghong River, close to its confluence with the Senqu (Orange/Gariep) in the Thaba Tseka District of the highlands of Lesotho. The site lies at an elevation of 1800 m above sea level".
Layer RF dates to 12,180 ± 110 BP based on a single radiocarbon date.
Layer RF dates to 12,180 ± 110 BP based on a single radiocarbon date.
Environment
Lithology: ash
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: "Layer RF (Rockfall) consists of a major rockfall within and below which is a black, organic-rich loam with well-preserved macroplant remains and several grindstones. The plant remains and artefacts are interstratified with the rocks. Its lithic assemblage has been assigned to the Robberg Industry". Hearths are present throughout all of the Pleistocene layers.
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
Methods
Life forms: bats,carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,frogs,fishes,clams,snails
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 916 specimens
Sampled by: P. Mitchell
Years: 1992
Sampling comments: "The primary excavation of the site was conducted by P. Mitchell in 1992. All sediment removed from the deposits was dry-sieved through a 1.5 mm mesh".
Metadata
Sample number: 3984
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-25 15:30:55
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:41:11
Abundance distribution
33 species
5 singletons
total count 916
extrapolated richness: 47.5
Fisher's α: 6.700
geometric series k: 0.8263
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7289
Shannon's H: 2.0459
Good's u: 0.9945
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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