Meninx
Basic information
Sample name: Meninx

Reference: S. Trixl, S. Ben Tahar, S. Ritter, and J. Peters. 2020. Wool sheep and purple snails - Long-term continuity of animal exploitation in ancient Meninx (Jerba/Tunisia). International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 30(6):811-823 [ER 3826]
Geography
Country: Tunisia


Coordinate: 33° 41' N, 10° 55' E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark

Time interval: Holocene

Max Ma: 0.00235

Min Ma: 0.00125

Age basis: other

Geography comments: "in Jerba" (coordinate based on Meninx)
"from the fourth century BCE until the seventh century CE" based on "archaeological research"

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement

Archaeology: buildings,ceramics

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,fishes,clams,snails

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 2428 specimens

Years: 2017, 2018

Sampling comments: excavations were "in four trenches south and west of the forum, the macellum and its surroundings, two residential buildings and private thermae"
in at least some locations there were "several wet-sieved units"
"Large quantities of tiny fish bones preserved in ceramic vessels and refuse pits" are also present
taxa with no counts are Brachyura, indeterminate canids, Caretta caretta, Caretta caretta/Chelonia mydas, Homo sapiens, and Sepia officinalis

Metadata
Sample number: 4173

Contributor: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Created: 2023-03-15 21:00:28

Modified: 2023-08-20 09:37:37

Abundance distribution
67 species
27 singletons
total count 2428
geometric series index: 138.7
Fisher's α: 12.751
geometric series k: 0.9094
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8751
Shannon's H: 2.5080
Good's u: 0.9889
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Equus africanus asinus12287 kg
"Equus asinus"
Equus ferus caballus9422 kg
"Equus caballus": plus 15 indeterminate equids
Camelus dromedarius1448 kg
Bos taurus387337 kg
Ovis aries31441 kg
Capra aegagrus hircus6522 kg browser-grazer
"Capra hircus": plus 3754 indeterminate caprines
Sus scrofa domesticus52754 kg herbivore
"Sus domesticus"
Felis catus1
Canis lupus familiaris10743 kg carnivore
"Canis familiaris"
Alcelaphus buselaphus2143 kg grazer-browser
Gazella dorcas3012 kg
Oryx dammah1
Ursus arctos3156 kg frugivore-carnivore
Lepus capensis6
Oryctolagus cuniculus32.5 kg browser-grazer
plus 2 Oryctolagus or Lepus
Ictonyx libycus1
"(Ictonyx libyca"
Jaculus orientalis3
plus 3 indeterminate Jaculus
Meriones libycus13
Rattus rattus15121 g
Gallus gallus23929.1 g frugivore-granivore
Columba livia domestica1369 g granivore
Alectoris barbara2461 g
Columba livia32369 g granivore
Columba palumbus5490 g
Coturnix coturnix190.0 g frugivore-granivore
Lymnocryptes minimus153.7 g
Numenius arquata1742 g
Otididae indet.1
Otis or Ardeotis
Phalacrocorax carbo114.6 g piscivore
Tyto alba182.5 g carnivore
Balistes carolinensis2
plus 4 Balistidae
Carangidae indet.3
Dentex dentex1
plus 2 Dentex sp.
Pagrus pagrus1
plus 2 Pagrus sp.
Sparus aurata9
plus 3 Sparidae
Epinephelus aeneus1
plus 5 Epinephelus
Serranidae indet.82
Euthynnus alletteratus11
Scombridae indet.3
Gobiidae indet.1
Carcharhinidae indet.1
Triakidae indet.6
Myliobatidae indet.5
plus 3 Batoidea
Acanthocardia aculeata1
Acanthocardia tuberculata3
plus 1 Acanthocardia sp.
Arca noae2
Atrina fragilis6
Cerastoderma edule1
Chlamys varia2
plus 2 Chlamys sp.
Mytilus edulis1
Ostrea edulis2
Pinna nobilis1
Spondylus gaederopus36
Bolinus brandaris42
Cerithium vulgatum30
plus 12 Cerithium sp.
Columbella rustica1
Conus mediterraneus9
Hexaplex trunculus351
Lunatia catena1
Naticarius stercusmuscarum3
Neverita josephina1
Pisania striata1
Turritella communis1
Zonaria pyrum1
Cernuella virgata1
Helix aspersa2
plus 2 Helicidae
Otala sp.1