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: 34° 41' N, 11° 55' E
Latlng 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"
"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
Excluded forms: primates, turtles, crustaceans, other invertebrates
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 2428 specimens
Years: 2017, 2018
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
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
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 no: 4173
Contributor no: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-03-15 21:00:28
Modified: 2023-08-20 09:37:37
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
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: 2.508
Good's u: 0.9889
Register
| Equus africanus asinus (African wild ass) | 12 | |
| "Equus asinus" | ||
| Equus ferus caballus (wild horse) | 9 | |
| "Equus caballus": plus 15 indeterminate equids | ||
| Camelus dromedarius (dromedary) | 1 | 448.0 kg |
| Bos taurus (cow) | 387 | |
| Ovis aries (sheep) | 314 | |
| Capra aegagrus hircus (wild goat) | 65 | |
| "Capra hircus": plus 3754 indeterminate caprines | ||
| Sus scrofa domesticus (pig) | 527 | |
| "Sus domesticus" | ||
| Felis catus (domestic cat) | 1 | |
| Canis lupus familiaris (gray wolf) | 107 | 43.0 kg |
| "Canis familiaris" | ||
| Alcelaphus buselaphus (hartebeest) | 2 | |
| Gazella dorcas (dorcas gazelle) | 30 | 12.0 kg |
| Oryx dammah (scimitar oryx) | 1 | |
| Ursus arctos (brown bear) | 3 | |
| Lepus capensis | 6 | |
| Oryctolagus cuniculus | 3 | 2.5 kg |
| plus 2 Oryctolagus or Lepus | ||
| Ictonyx libycus (Saharan striped polecat) | 1 | |
| "(Ictonyx libyca" | ||
| Jaculus orientalis | 3 | |
| plus 3 indeterminate Jaculus | ||
| Meriones libycus | 13 | |
| Rattus rattus | 15 | 121.0 g |
| Gallus gallus | 239 | |
| Columba livia domestica | 1 | 369.0 g |
| Alectoris barbara | 2 | 461.0 g |
| Columba livia | 32 | 369.0 g |
| Columba palumbus | 5 | 490.0 g |
| Coturnix coturnix | 1 | 90.0 g |
| Lymnocryptes minimus | 1 | 53.7 g |
| Numenius arquata | 1 | 742.0 g |
| Otididae indet. | 1 | |
| Otis or Ardeotis | ||
| Phalacrocorax carbo | 1 | 14.6 g |
| Tyto alba | 18 | 2.5 g |
| Balistes carolinensis | 2 | |
| plus 4 Balistidae | ||
| Carangidae indet. | 3 | |
| Dentex dentex | 1 | |
| plus 2 Dentex sp. | ||
| Pagrus pagrus | 1 | |
| plus 2 Pagrus sp. | ||
| Sparus aurata | 9 | |
| plus 3 Sparidae | ||
| Epinephelus aeneus | 1 | |
| plus 5 Epinephelus | ||
| Serranidae indet. | 82 | |
| Euthynnus alletteratus | 11 | |
| Scombridae indet. | 3 | |
| Gobiidae indet. | 1 | |
| Carcharhinidae indet. | 1 | |
| Triakidae indet. | 6 | |
| Myliobatidae indet. | 5 | |
| plus 3 Batoidea | ||
| Acanthocardia aculeata | 1 | |
| Acanthocardia tuberculata | 3 | |
| plus 1 Acanthocardia sp. | ||
| Arca noae | 2 | |
| Atrina fragilis | 6 | |
| Cerastoderma edule | 1 | |
| Chlamys varia | 2 | |
| plus 2 Chlamys sp. | ||
| Mytilus edulis | 1 | |
| Ostrea edulis | 2 | |
| Pinna nobilis | 1 | |
| Spondylus gaederopus | 36 | |
| Bolinus brandaris | 42 | |
| Cerithium vulgatum | 30 | |
| plus 12 Cerithium sp. | ||
| Columbella rustica | 1 | |
| Conus mediterraneus | 9 | |
| Hexaplex trunculus | 351 | |
| Lunatia catena | 1 | |
| Naticarius stercusmuscarum | 3 | |
| Neverita josephina | 1 | |
| Pisania striata | 1 | |
| Turritella communis | 1 | |
| Zonaria pyrum | 1 | |
| Cernuella virgata | 1 | |
| Helix aspersa | 2 | |
| plus 2 Helicidae | ||
| Otala sp. | 1 | |