Widgingarri Rockshelter 2 (Upper Shell Unit B)
Basic information
Sample name: Widgingarri Rockshelter 2 (Upper Shell Unit B)
Reference: S. O'Connor. 1999. 30 000 years of Aboriginal occupation: Kimberley, north west Australia. Terra Australis 14 51-92 [ER 3700]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Western Australia
Coordinate: 15° 48' S, 124° 24' E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3700
Unit number: 2
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.00497
Min Ma: 0.00151
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: The Widgingarri Rockshelters are located in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, near the coast to the north-west of Doubtful Bay, and north of Lizard Island.
Dates for the Upper Shell Horizon Unit B of Widgingarri Rockshelter 2 range from 4970 ± 60 BP to 1510 ± 50 BP.
Dates for the Upper Shell Horizon Unit B of Widgingarri Rockshelter 2 range from 4970 ± 60 BP to 1510 ± 50 BP.
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: "Widgingarri Shelter 2 is 18 m long, 8 m deep and 1.5 m high at maximum above the present surface of the deposit".
Sediments were loose, sandy and rich in organic material to a depth of 30-35 cm, becoming redder in colour and more consolidated from Spit 4 onwards.
"Shells were concentrated in a lens in Spit 7 some 29-35 cm below the surface, decreasing rapidly below this".
"A total of 1769 stone artefacts were recovered from the excavation at Shelter 2", including points, flakes, etc.
Sediments were loose, sandy and rich in organic material to a depth of 30-35 cm, becoming redder in colour and more consolidated from Spit 4 onwards.
"Shells were concentrated in a lens in Spit 7 some 29-35 cm below the surface, decreasing rapidly below this".
"A total of 1769 stone artefacts were recovered from the excavation at Shelter 2", including points, flakes, etc.
Methods
Life forms: rodents,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,snakes,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 147 specimens
Sampling comments: "The excavation of Shelter 2 was limited to two adjacent 1 x 1 m squares, labelled Squares B and C. Excavation was discontinued when bedrock was reached at depths of 100-108 cm below the surface".
Material was sieved using both 3 mm and 6 mm mesh.
Material was sieved using both 3 mm and 6 mm mesh.
Metadata
Sample number: 3895
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-02-18 13:12:12
Modified: 2023-04-29 06:00:03
Abundance distribution
10 species
5 singletons
total count 147
geometric series index: 27.9
Fisher's α: 2.427
geometric series k: 0.5869
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.3077
Shannon's H: 0.7503
Good's u: 0.9662
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
• Find matching samples
Register
| Osphranter robustus | 1 | 14 kg |
| "Macropus robustus" | ||
| Notamacropus agilis | 2 | 14 kg browser-grazer |
| "Macropus agilis" | ||
| Petrogale brachyotis | 2 | |
| Petrogale concinna | 1 | |
| also 36 Macropodidae indet. | ||
| Peramelidae indet. | 1 | |
| Muridae indet. | 1 | |
| Serpentes indet. | 14 | |
| Scincidae indet. | 3 | |
| also 1 "Lizard" indet. | ||
| Aves indet. | 1 | |
| Fish indet. | 121 | |