Zouhrah Cave (L 2)
Basic information
Sample name: Zouhrah Cave (L 2)
Sample aka: El Harhoura 1
Reference: H. Monchot and H. Aouraghe. 2009. Deciphering the taphonomic history of an Upper Paleolithic faunal assemblage from Zouhrah Cave/El Harhoura 1, Morocco. Quaternaire 20(2):239-253 [ER 3787]
Geography
Country: Morocco
Coordinate: 33.94° N, -6.95° W
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3787
Unit number: 4
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.04116
Min Ma: 0.02558
Age basis: other
Geography comments: shown on a map as ENE of central Temara on the coast
coordinate based on the beach location of Harhoura in Temara
Upper Paleolithic "Aterian" based on stone tools, with an OSL date of 41,160 +/- 3,500 yr BP, a thermoluminescence date of 32,150 +/- 4800 yr BP, and a radiocarbon date of 25,580 +/- 130 yr BP
coordinate based on the beach location of Harhoura in Temara
Upper Paleolithic "Aterian" based on stone tools, with an OSL date of 41,160 +/- 3,500 yr BP, a thermoluminescence date of 32,150 +/- 4800 yr BP, and a radiocarbon date of 25,580 +/- 130 yr BP
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: carnivore accumulation,cave,rodent accumulation
Archaeology: hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: s1 and 1 are in "Sandy sediments, more or less clayey or silty"
based on a detailed taphonomic analysis, "The hyena would have been the main collector and modifier of bones at Zouhrah cave" but material was also accumulated by porcupines
levels s1, 1, and 2 include "a small lithic industry composed of pebble tools and complete or fractured pebbles"
there are "numerous burnt stones" in "levels 1 and 2" but "cutmarks or characteristic bone fractures" are "rare"
based on a detailed taphonomic analysis, "The hyena would have been the main collector and modifier of bones at Zouhrah cave" but material was also accumulated by porcupines
levels s1, 1, and 2 include "a small lithic industry composed of pebble tools and complete or fractured pebbles"
there are "numerous burnt stones" in "levels 1 and 2" but "cutmarks or characteristic bone fractures" are "rare"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,crustaceans
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 1295 specimens
Sampled by: A. Debénath
Years: 1976
Sampling comments: "discovered during residential construction work in 1976 and ... excavated by A. Debénath"
numerous amphibians, reptiles, birds, lagomorphs, mollusks, and rodents are described from somewhere in the section
reptile, amphibian, and "mollusc" specimens are listed in the table at this level
numerous amphibians, reptiles, birds, lagomorphs, mollusks, and rodents are described from somewhere in the section
reptile, amphibian, and "mollusc" specimens are listed in the table at this level
Metadata
Sample number: 4113
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-02-24 14:13:16
Modified: 2023-05-30 05:09:00
Abundance distribution
27 species
3 singletons
total count 1295
geometric series index: 34.3
Fisher's α: 4.825
geometric series k: 0.7784
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7075
Shannon's H: 1.9674
Good's u: 0.9977
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Canis aureus | 66 | 9.9 kg carnivore-frugivore |
| Vulpes vulpes | 87 | 5.3 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Crocuta crocuta | 10 | 66 kg carnivore |
| Hyaena hyaena | 4 | 30 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Panthera pardus | 7 | 33 kg carnivore |
| Panthera leo | 5 | 147 kg carnivore |
| Felis lybica | 22 | |
| Felis margarita | 3 | |
| Caracal caracal | 1 | 12 kg carnivore |
| "Felis caracal" | ||
| Herpestes ichneumon | 2 | 2.9 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Ictonyx libycus | 5 | |
| "Ictonyx libyca" | ||
| Equus algericus | 20 | |
| Equus mauritanicus | 29 | |
| Equus africanus | 1 | 287 kg |
| compared to "Equus asinus", but not domesticated | ||
| Elephantidae indet. | 1 | |
| "elephant" | ||
| Sus scrofa | 12 | 54 kg herbivore |
| Phacochoerus africanus | 9 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| Bos primigenius | 38 | |
| Syncerus antiquus | 4 | |
| "Pelorovis antiquus" | ||
| Antilopini indet. | 674 | |
| Alcelaphini indet. | 44 | |
| Hippotragini indet. | 23 | |
| Tragelaphini indet. | 5 | |
| Hystrix cristata | 100 | 12 kg |
| Lepus capensis | 83 | |
| Struthio camelus | 14 | 111 kg grazer-browser |
| Carcinus sp. | 26 | |