Boomplaas Cave (Member BLD)
Basic information
Sample name: Boomplaas Cave (Member BLD)
Reference: J. T. Faith. 2013. Taphonomic and paleoecological change in the large mammal sequence from Boomplaas Cave, western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution 65(6):715-730 [ER 3779]
Geography
Country: South Africa
State: Western Cape
Coordinate: 33° 22' 14" S, 22° 10' 31" E
Latlng basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3779
Unit number: 1
Unit order: above to below
Ma: 0.001955
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Boomplaas Cave is located in the Cango Valley in the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range, north of Oudtshoorn, Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape Province, South Africa".
The BLD member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to 1955 ± 65 BP (1726–2059 cal. BP).
The BLD member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to 1955 ± 65 BP (1726–2059 cal. BP).
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: cave, human accumulation
Archaeology: ceramics, stone tools
Habitat comments: "Boomplaas Cave contains a stratified sequence of Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA) deposits spanning the last 65, 000 years. People were the primary accumulators of the faunal remains in the LSA assemblages younger than ∼18, 000 years ago (CL to BLD). In the LSA and MSA deposits dating from 18, 000 to 50, 000 years ago (BOL to GWA), a combination of humans, carnivores, and raptors accumulated the faunal remains, while the lowermost units were accumulated by carnivores and raptors". Ornamented pottery and seed storage pits are present in the most recent layers (BLD, DGL).
Methods
Life forms: carnivores, primates, rodents, ungulates, other large mammals, other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 1888 specimens
Sampled by: H. J. Deacon
Years: 1974 - 1979
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "Excavations were conducted by H.J. Deacon from 1974 to 1979. In 2009 and 2010, taphonomic and taxonomic data were collected on thousands of previously unsorted specimens, in addition to those previously examined. All MSA and LSA units were examined with the exception of the uppermost pastoralist levels (member DGL)".
Metadata
Sample no: 4082
Contributor no: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2023-02-23 12:33:55
Modified: 2023-05-30 04:57:08
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
21 species
3 singletons
total count 1888
geometric series index: 30.0
Fisher's α: 3.308
geometric series k: 0.6967
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.4504
Shannon's H: 1.1037
Good's u: 0.9984
Register
| Lepus capensis | 17 | |
| Bunolagus monticularis | 98 | |
| also 13 Leporidae indet. | ||
| Hystrix africaeaustralis | 8 | 15.0 kg |
| Papio ursinus (chacma baboon) | 215 | 20.0 kg |
| Canis cf. mesomelas (black-backed jackal) | 1 | 7.9 kg |
| Mellivora capensis (honey badger) | 2 | 7.7 kg |
| Genetta sp. | 1 | |
| Herpestes ichneumon (Egyptian mongoose) | 2 | 2.9 kg |
| also 2 Herpestes sp. | ||
| Felis lybica (African wildcat) | 21 | 4.5 kg |
| Caracal caracal (caracal) | 4 | |
| "Felis cf caracal" | ||
| Panthera pardus (leopard) | 2 | |
| Procavia capensis | 1377 | 2.8 kg |
| Equus sp. | 14 | |
| zebra/quagga | ||
| Suidae indet. | 5 | |
| Taurotragus oryx (common eland) | 1 | |
| also 1 Tragelaphini indet. | ||
| †Hippotragus leucophaeus (bluebuck) | 3 | |
| Redunca fulvorufula (mountain reedbuck) | 21 | 29.0 kg |
| also 35 Redunca sp. | ||
| Alcelaphus buselaphus (hartebeest) | 12 | |
| Pelea capreolus (grey rhebok) | 17 | 16.0 kg |
| Oreotragus oreotragus (klipspringer) | 65 | |
| Raphicerus melanotis (Cape grysbok) | 2 | 9.1 kg |
| also 63 Raphicerus sp. and 42 Neotragini indet. | ||