Meyer Cave
Basic information
Sample name: Meyer Cave
Reference: P. W. Parmalee. 1967. A recent cave bone deposit in southwestern Illinois. Bulletin of the National Speleological Society 29(4):119-147 [ER 3209]
Geography
Country: United States
State: Illinois
Coordinate: 38.40° N, -90.26° W
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Ma: 0.00104
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "in the limestone bluff of the Mississippi River four miles south-southwest of Columbia... N.W. 1/4 Sec. 6, T. 2 S., R. 10 W."
there is a radiocarbon date of "1040 +/- 150 B.P." on charcoal (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
there is a radiocarbon date of "1040 +/- 150 B.P." on charcoal (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
Environment
Lithology: limestone
Taphonomic context: cave,pitfall trap
Archaeology: ceramics,hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: "debris fill, composed of pieces of limestone, soil and bone... some predators probably used the small room above the lower fissure" where the fossil were found, but this is "one basic, although probably not major, source of the bone deposits. In all probability, the majority of the bone accumulated as a result of animals entering through openings from the outside and accidentally falling into the fissure"
"artifacts, as well as human (Indian?) remains" were present and artifacts include a projectile point, 30 Late Woodland sherds, flakes and small fragments of charcoal that "may have resulted from a man-made fire"
"artifacts, as well as human (Indian?) remains" were present and artifacts include a projectile point, 30 Late Woodland sherds, flakes and small fragments of charcoal that "may have resulted from a man-made fire"
Methods
Life forms: bats,carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,lizards,snakes,turtles,frogs,salamanders,fishes,snails
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash,surface
Sample size: 78407 specimens
Years: 1959 - 1961
Sampling comments: "Surface bone was recovered during the first visit" but most bone was excavated and "washed"
beetles and other arthropods are listed but not counted
beetles and other arthropods are listed but not counted
Metadata
Sample number: 3520
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2019-09-11 11:06:21
Modified: 2023-04-03 08:56:35
Abundance distribution
129 species
20 singletons
total count 78407
geometric series index: 174.4
Fisher's α: 15.076
geometric series k: 0.9289
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.9050
Shannon's H: 2.7340
Good's u: 0.9997
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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