Les Canalettes (Layer 4)
Basic information
Sample name: Les Canalettes (Layer 4)
Reference: D. Cochard, J. P. Brugal, E. Morin, and L. Meignen. 2012. Evidence of small fast game exploitation in the Middle Paleolithic of Les Canalettes Aveyron, France. Quaternary International 264:32-51 [ER 3711]
Geography
Country: France
State: Occitania
Coordinate: 44° 59' 47" N, 3° 15' 28" E
Latlng basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3711
Unit number: 3
Unit order: above to below
Ma: 0.0735
Age basis: thermoluminescence
Geography comments: "Les Canalettes is a mid-altitude (700 m) rockshelter located at the southern border of the Massif Central in the Aveyron region of France".
"Climatic data and a Thermoluminescence date of 73.5 ± 6 ka on burnt flint from layer 2 suggest that the site was occupied at the end of MIS 5a (71–85 ka)".
"Climatic data and a Thermoluminescence date of 73.5 ± 6 ka on burnt flint from layer 2 suggest that the site was occupied at the end of MIS 5a (71–85 ka)".
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation, rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The site faces south-southwest and lies underneath a 4-m high overhang that provides 60–70 m2 of protected area".
"The Les Canalettes layers contain rich and well-preserved faunal assemblages associated with a typical Mousterian lithic assemblage".
"The faunal assemblages appear to be mostly anthropogenic, a phenomenon that is characteristic of several French Mousterian sites".
"The Les Canalettes layers contain rich and well-preserved faunal assemblages associated with a typical Mousterian lithic assemblage".
"The faunal assemblages appear to be mostly anthropogenic, a phenomenon that is characteristic of several French Mousterian sites".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores, ungulates, other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 1781 specimens
Years: 1980 - 1997
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "The first excavations at Les Canalettes were initiated shortly after the discovery of the site in 1964. More systematic excavations followed between 1980 and 1997".
"These excavations, which were concentrated in the central zone of the rockshelter, enlarged the excavated area to around 30 m2, and defined three stratigraphic layers (from bottom to top: 4, 3, and 2). The layers were sieved using a 2-mm mesh screen".
"These excavations, which were concentrated in the central zone of the rockshelter, enlarged the excavated area to around 30 m2, and defined three stratigraphic layers (from bottom to top: 4, 3, and 2). The layers were sieved using a 2-mm mesh screen".
Metadata
Sample no: 3933
Contributor no: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-28 11:53:40
Modified: 2023-05-30 00:36:06
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
16 species
5 singletons
total count 1781
geometric series index: 26.8
Fisher's α: 2.424
geometric series k: 0.623
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.4976
Shannon's H: 1.0344
Good's u: 0.9972
Register
| †Stephanorhinus hemitoechus (narrow-nosed rhinoceros) | 1 | |
| "Dicerorhinus hemitoechus" | ||
| Equus ferus ferus (wild horse) | 154 | |
| "Equus caballus": hunted wild horses | ||
| Equus hemionus hydruntinus (onager) | 6 | |
| "Equus hydruntinus" | ||
| †Bos primigenius (aurochs) | 45 | |
| Cervus elaphus (red deer) | 324 | |
| Capreolus capreolus (roe deer) | 3 | |
| Capra ibex (Alpine ibex) | 5 | 37.0 kg |
| Rupicapra rupicapra (chamois) | 15 | 27.0 kg |
| Sus scrofa (pig) | 4 | |
| †Ursus spelaeus (cave bear) | 4 | |
| Ursus arctos (brown bear) | 1 | |
| Canis lupus (gray wolf) | 1 | 43.0 kg |
| Vulpes vulpes (red fox) | 1 | |
| Crocuta sp. | 1 | |
| "Crocuta crocuta": possibly C. spelaea | ||
| Oryctolagus cuniculus | 1209 | 2.5 kg |
| Lepus europaeus | 7 | 3.4 kg |