Duinefontein 2 Horizon 3
Basic information
Sample name: Duinefontein 2 Horizon 3
Reference: S. Stanc, A.-D. Stanica, L. Bejenaru, and M. Danu. 2021. Archaeological animal remains from Noviodunum fortress. International Journal of Conservation Science 12(1):195-204 [ER 3952]
Geography
Country: South Africa
State: Western Cape
Coordinate: 33° 38' 50" S, 18° 25' 43" E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Middle Pleistocene
Unit number: 3
Unit order: above to below
Min Ma: 0.29
Age basis: OSL
Geography comments: "on the property of the Koeberg Nature Reserve, adjacent to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, about 35 km north of Cape Town" (coordinate based on Koeberg Nature Reserve)
dating was buy a "tedious sub-technique" of OSL "known informally as the 'subtraction method'"
a date of "roughly 290 ky" is for sediment "betwen Horizons 2 and 3", so it is a minimum
the entire site is thought to be Late Acheulean and therefore Middle Pleistocene
dating was buy a "tedious sub-technique" of OSL "known informally as the 'subtraction method'"
a date of "roughly 290 ky" is for sediment "betwen Horizons 2 and 3", so it is a minimum
the entire site is thought to be Late Acheulean and therefore Middle Pleistocene
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: aeolian deposit
Archaeology: stone tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: "stratified within a 10-m thick dune plume" and specifically a "paleosurface" that is "110-120 cm from the present surface" and like Horizon 2 represents the margin of "a large interdunal marsh or pond"
the lithology is "fine white drift sands"
there is no direct discussion of the taphonomy of Horizon 3, so the accumulation agent is unclear
it it not clear from the text whether any stone artefacts are present in Horizon 3, but it is strongly implied that they are, and there is a "humanly introduced lump of red ochreous pigment (hematite)"
the lithology is "fine white drift sands"
there is no direct discussion of the taphonomy of Horizon 3, so the accumulation agent is unclear
it it not clear from the text whether any stone artefacts are present in Horizon 3, but it is strongly implied that they are, and there is a "humanly introduced lump of red ochreous pigment (hematite)"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,ungulates,other small mammals,birds
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 96 specimens
Years: 1975, 1997 - 2001
Sampling comments: the initial excavations of Horizon 3 were in 1975, when it was discovered, and were resumed between 1997 and 2001
it is not clear whether micromammals, frogs, or tortoises are present in this layer
it is not clear whether micromammals, frogs, or tortoises are present in this layer
Metadata
Sample number: 4363
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-08-30 20:45:31
Modified: 2023-08-30 10:48:17
Abundance distribution
22 species
10 singletons
total count 96
geometric series index: 55.5
Fisher's α: 8.928
geometric series k: 0.8596
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8741
Shannon's H: 2.4788
Good's u: 0.8967
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Lepus capensis | 24 | |
| Canis mesomelas | 1 | 7.9 kg carnivore |
| Ictonyx striatus | 16 | 753 g invertivore-carnivore |
| Genetta sp. | 1 | |
| Herpestes ichneumon | 1 | 2.9 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Hyaenidae indet. | 2 | |
| Loxodonta africana | 1 | 2731 kg browser-grazer |
| Rhinocerotidae indet. | 3 | |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | 2 | 1107 kg grazer |
| Raphicerus sp. | 8 | |
| Alcelaphini indet. | 1 | |
| "extinct" | ||
| Redunca arundinum | 2 | grazer |
| Tragelaphus strepsiceros | 11 | 189 kg browser-grazer |
| Pelorovis antiquus | 4 | |
| Pternistis capensis | 8 | |
| Francolinus cf. africanus | 1 | 423 g |
| Columba guinea | 1 | 352 g omnivore |
| Picidae indet. | 1 | |
| questionably referred | ||
| Motacillidae indet. | 1 | |
| Onychognathus morio | 1 | 138 g omnivore |
| Passer melanurus | 4 | 29.5 g |
| Serinus flaviventris | 2 | 16.2 g |