Contrada Castro (Period B)
Basic information
Sample name: Contrada Castro (Period B)

Reference: A. Castrorao Barba, C. Speciale, R. Miccichè, F. Pisciotta, C. Aleo Nero, P. Marino, and G. Bazan. 2021. The Sicilian countryside in the Early Middle Ages: human-environment interactions at Contrada Castro. Environmental Archaeology x:1-16 [ER 3828]
Geography
Country: Italy

State: Palermo

Coordinate: 37.77° N, 13.3° E
Latlng basis: estimated from map

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3828

Unit number: 2

Unit order: below to above

Max Ma: 0.00105

Min Ma: 0.00085

Age basis: other

Geography comments: estimated from satellite map based on Fig. 1
"10th-11th c. AD" based on a "typological study of the site" and on one confirming radiocarbon date (only a 1 sd range is given, and it is not clear if it is calibrated)

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: human accumulation, settlement

Archaeology: buildings, ceramics

Habitat comments: "a square building" with "pottery kilns" that yielded "production waste"
"35% of the identified elements bore evidence" of gnawing "likely caused by dogs" and there are also "dismembering marks made with large tools"

Methods
Life forms: carnivores, ungulates, birds

Sample size: 415 specimens

Years: 2017 - 2019

Net or trap nights: 0

Basal area status: not applicable

Sampling comments: full counts of plant species based on seeds and wood charcoal are also given
there are two infant burials below the Period A building structure, immediately predating it

Metadata
Sample no: 4177

Contributor no: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Created: 2023-03-20 20:03:24

Modified: 2023-05-30 06:22:15

Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
11 species
3 singletons
total count 415
geometric series index: 16.4
Fisher's α: 2.074
geometric series k: 0.6059
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7578
Shannon's H: 1.6614
Good's u: 0.9928
Register
Bos taurus (cow)150
Sus scrofa domesticus (pig)116
"Sus domesticus"
Ovis aries (sheep)56
plus 260 indeterminate ovines
Capra aegagrus hircus (wild goat)12
"Capra hircus"
Equus africanus asinus (African wild ass)43
compared to "Equus asinus"
Canis lupus familiaris (gray wolf)143.0 kg
"Canis familiaris"
Felis catus (domestic cat)1
"cat" IDed as "Felis silvestris"
Sus scrofa (pig)3
Cervidae indet.14
Cervus or Dama
Vulpes vulpes (red fox)1
Gallus gallus 18