Sehonghong (BAS)
Basic information
Sample name: Sehonghong (BAS)
Reference: I. Plug and P. Mitchell. 2008. Sehonghong: hunter-gatherer utilization of animal resources in the highlands of Lesotho. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 45:31-53 [ER 3742]
Geography
Country: Lesotho
State: Thaba-Tseka
Coordinate: 29° 46' S, 28° 47' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3742
Unit number: 8
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.0194
Min Ma: 0.0157
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Sehonghong is a large rock-shelter on the banks of the Sehonghong River, close to its confluence with the Senqu (Orange/Gariep) in the Thaba Tseka District of the highlands of Lesotho. The site lies at an elevation of 1800 m above sea level".
Radiocarbon dates on Layer BAS range from 19,400 ± 200 BP to 15,700 ± 150 BP.
Radiocarbon dates on Layer BAS range from 19,400 ± 200 BP to 15,700 ± 150 BP.
Environment
Lithology: ash
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: "Layer BAS (Brown Ashy Sand) consists of a relatively thick, fine, grey-brown ashy loam whose lithic assemblage was assigned to an early expression of the Robberg Industry". Hearths are present throughout all of the Pleistocene layers.
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals,birds,lizards,frogs,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 654 specimens
Sampled by: P. Mitchell
Years: 1992
Sampling comments: "The primary excavation of the site was conducted by P. Mitchell in 1992. All sediment removed from the deposits was dry-sieved through a 1.5 mm mesh".
Metadata
Sample number: 3986
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-25 16:28:02
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:41:04
Abundance distribution
36 species
12 singletons
total count 654
geometric series index: 67.6
Fisher's α: 8.197
geometric series k: 0.8444
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6516
Shannon's H: 1.8502
Good's u: 0.9817
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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