Begash (Phase 1a)
Basic information
Sample name: Begash (Phase 1a)
Reference: M. Frachetti and N. Benecke. 2009. From sheep to (some) horses: 4500 years of herd structure at the pastoralist settlement of Begash (south-eastern Kazakhstan). Antiquity 83(322):1023-1037 [ER 3760]
Geography
Country: Kazakhstan
Coordinate: 44° 54' N, 78° 30' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3760
Unit number: 1
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.00387
Min Ma: 0.00365
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "The settlement at Begash is located in eastern Kazakhstan (Semirech'ye) in the piedmont zone of the Dzhungar Mountains (950m asl). The site nestles on a flat ravine terrace enclosed by steep canyon walls on the north, west and south, and is situated along a spring-fed stream".
Radiocarbon dates for Phase 1a range from 3870 ± 35 to 3650 ± 45 BP (2460-1950 cal. BC)
Radiocarbon dates for Phase 1a range from 3870 ± 35 to 3650 ± 45 BP (2460-1950 cal. BC)
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement
Archaeology: burials,ceramics,hearths,stone tools,other structures
Habitat comments: "The geography of the site indicates that Begash was a seasonally occupied winter time settlement for regionally mobile pastoralists".
"Phase 1a corresponds with the initial construction of at least one stone-foundation structure by Early Bronze Age pastoralists. The settlement was quadrilateral in shape, with stacked stone wall foundations filled by earthen mortar. A cist burial was excavated in the northern part of the site at the same stratigraphic level as the domestic structure. Within the stone slab cist, were the ashy remains of a cremation, and a few non-diagnostic ceramic fragments. Directly outside the burial cist was a large fire-pit, interpreted as either a funerary fire- or ceremonial fire-pit, given its clear relationship to the cist. The material finds for Phase la include ceramics and stone tools such as grinders and micro-blades. The ceramics are coarse, handmade vessels with heavy flat bottoms. Stone tools, such as a notched hammerstone, chert blade-cores, and micro-lithics were also recovered from Phase la levels".
"Phase 1a corresponds with the initial construction of at least one stone-foundation structure by Early Bronze Age pastoralists. The settlement was quadrilateral in shape, with stacked stone wall foundations filled by earthen mortar. A cist burial was excavated in the northern part of the site at the same stratigraphic level as the domestic structure. Within the stone slab cist, were the ashy remains of a cremation, and a few non-diagnostic ceramic fragments. Directly outside the burial cist was a large fire-pit, interpreted as either a funerary fire- or ceremonial fire-pit, given its clear relationship to the cist. The material finds for Phase la include ceramics and stone tools such as grinders and micro-blades. The ceramics are coarse, handmade vessels with heavy flat bottoms. Stone tools, such as a notched hammerstone, chert blade-cores, and micro-lithics were also recovered from Phase la levels".
Methods
Life forms: ungulates,birds
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 30 specimens
Years: 2005 - 2006
Sampling comments: "Begash was excavated in 2005 and 2006. During the excavation, faunal remains were carefully collected by hand in all trenches of the site and screening of 50 per cent of the excavated soil was performed through a 10 mm screen. We also wet sieved and floated representative hearth and midden samples from nearly all stratigraphic contexts. While overall bone preservation is good, the remains are characterised by a high degree of fragmentation with only very few bones being complete".
Metadata
Sample number: 4014
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-10-17 16:05:55
Modified: 2023-05-30 02:20:31
Abundance distribution
6 species
3 singletons
total count 30
geometric series index: 15.2
Fisher's α: 2.255
geometric series k: 0.5493
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.5080
Shannon's H: 1.1093
Good's u: 0.9000
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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