Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL2.3)
Basic information
Sample name: Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL2.3)

Sample aka: Twilight Cave

Reference: C. W. Marean. 1992. Hunter to herder: large mammal remains from the hunter-gatherer occupation at Enkapune Ya Muto rock-shelter, Central Rift, Kenya. The African Archaeological Review 10(1):65-127 [ER 3705]
Geography
Country: Kenya


Coordinate: 0° 50' S, 36° 9' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3705

Unit number: 4

Unit order: above to below

Max Ma: 0.005365

Min Ma: 0.005265

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Enkapune Ya Muto (EYM), also known as Twilight Cave, is a large enclosed rock-shelter located on a steep slope in a large incised gully on the eastern face of the Mau Escarpment above the Naivasha basin in the Central Rift Valley of Kenya".
Radiocarbon dates for the RBL2.3 layers range from 5365 ± 235 BP to 5265 ± 220 BP.

Environment
Lithology: ash

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "The Mau Escarpment is mostly formed of volcanic ashes and tufts with occasional outcrops of agglomerates and more heavily consolidated lavas. The stratigraphy was complex but the layers were typically distinct and horizontal".
"The six major EYM aggregates preserve various forms of evidence inconsistent with accumulations by porcupines and carnivores, indicating persistent occupation of the shelter by people".
Human accumulation of the remains is "further substantiated by the density of artefacts and the high frequencies of cutmarks on the bones". Stone tools of the Eburran industry, "characterized by geometric and non-geometric microliths produced from narrow blades of obsidian", are present.

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 277 specimens

Sampling comments: "The site was excavated during the two field seasons in 18 1-m squares, placed primarily in the northern section of the rock-shelter. The depth of the deposits, over 5 m, along with a rock shelf warranted reduction of the area excavated in the deeper deposits".

Metadata
Sample number: 3917

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-03-07 13:19:02

Modified: 2023-05-29 23:33:27

Abundance distribution
23 species
8 singletons
total count 277
geometric series index: 44.4
Fisher's α: 5.958
geometric series k: 0.8233
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8506
Shannon's H: 2.2493
Good's u: 0.9712
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Aepyceros melampus251 kg browser-grazer
Alcelaphus buselaphus8143 kg grazer-browser
Eudorcas thomsonii120 kg
"Gazella thomsoni"
Madoqua kirkii14.8 kg browser
Ourebia ourebi414 kg grazer-browser
Raphicerus campestris69.7 kg browser-grazer
Redunca sp.31
"bohor/mountain reedbuck"
Sylvicapra grimmia4313 kg browser-grazer
Tragelaphus scriptus5031 kg browser-grazer
also 1676 Bovidae indet.
Suidae indet.1
Acinonyx jubatus242 kg carnivore
Canis adustus19.8 kg carnivore
Leptailurus serval910 kg carnivore
"Felis serval"
Genetta tigrina11.7 kg invertivore-carnivore
Hyaena hyaena230 kg carnivore-insectivore
Lycaon pictus226 kg carnivore
Mellivora capensis17.7 kg carnivore-invertivore
Panthera pardus633 kg carnivore
Civettictis civetta114 kg frugivore-insectivore
"Viverra civetta"
Chlorocebus aethiops7 frugivore-folivore
"Cercopithecus aethiops"
Papio sp.1
Procaviidae indet.72
Thryonomys gregorianus252.2 kg