Spitzkloof A Rockshelter (MIS 2)
Basic information
Sample name: Spitzkloof A Rockshelter (MIS 2)
Reference: G. Dewar and B. A. Stewart. 2017. Early maritime desert dwellers in Namaqualand, South Africa: a Holocene perspective on Pleistocene peopling. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 12:44-64 [ER 3743]
Geography
Country: South Africa
State: Northern Cape
Coordinate: 28° 51' S, 17° 4' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3743
Unit number: 1
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.01975
Min Ma: 0.01955
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Spitzkloof A Rockshelter is located in the northern hinterland of Namaqualand, otherwise known as the Richtersveld, in northwestern Northern Cape province, South Africa. The site is 30 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean and 30 km south of the Orange River".
The upper MIS 2 layers have been radiocarbon dated to 23 kyr cal. BP (19,750 ± 80 to 19,550 ± 60 uncal. years BP).
The upper MIS 2 layers have been radiocarbon dated to 23 kyr cal. BP (19,750 ± 80 to 19,550 ± 60 uncal. years BP).
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: "The rockshelter is one of three consecutive dome-shaped hollows eroded from a folded outcrop of quartzite from the Stinkfontein subgroup".
"The 23 ka cal. BP strata at Spitzkloof yielded one identified ostrich eggshell flask mouth and 1179 g of eggshell fragments, representing five ostrich eggshells. There is also more evidence for social interactions, with ochre appearing for the first time, along with a bone bead, two large ostrich eggshell bead preforms, and two complete beads".
"The assemblage represents a subsistence strategy that suggests an opportunistic and broad diet, with people also hunting the highest ranked or largest species".
"The 23 ka cal. BP strata at Spitzkloof yielded one identified ostrich eggshell flask mouth and 1179 g of eggshell fragments, representing five ostrich eggshells. There is also more evidence for social interactions, with ochre appearing for the first time, along with a bone bead, two large ostrich eggshell bead preforms, and two complete beads".
"The assemblage represents a subsistence strategy that suggests an opportunistic and broad diet, with people also hunting the highest ranked or largest species".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,snakes,turtles,clams
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 1035 specimens
Years: 2010
Sampling comments: "Excavation began in April 2010 by establishing a two-by-two m2 grid near the top of the deposit. Three square meters were excavated in a step-like fashion, using standard archaeological methods".
"The sediment was sieved through both 1 mm and 3 mm mesh".
"The sediment was sieved through both 1 mm and 3 mm mesh".
Metadata
Sample number: 3990
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-30 12:18:29
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:55:45
Abundance distribution
15 species
4 singletons
total count 1035
geometric series index: 26.2
Fisher's α: 2.486
geometric series k: 0.6165
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.2817
Shannon's H: 0.7105
Good's u: 0.9961
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Canis mesomelas | 2 | 7.9 kg carnivore |
| also 1 Carnivora indet. | ||
| Lepus capensis | 2 | |
| Procavia capensis | 1 | 2.8 kg browser |
| Oreotragus oreotragus | 1 | browser-grazer |
| Oryx gazella | 14 | 195 kg grazer-browser |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | 1 | 143 kg grazer-browser |
| also 122 Bovidae indet. | ||
| Equus sp. | 3 | |
| zebra | ||
| Parotomys brantsii | 3 | |
| "Otomys brantsii" | ||
| Mus sp. | 1 | |
| Chersobius signatus | 31 | |
| "Homopus signatus" | ||
| Psammobates tentorius trimeni | 70 | |
| Chersina angulata | 873 | |
| Aves indet. | 20 | |
| Serpentes indet. | 11 | |
| Choromytilus meridionalis | 2 | |