Grotte du Bison (Level I)
Basic information
Sample name: Grotte du Bison (Level I)
Sample aka: Arcy-sur-Cure
Reference: J. G. Enloe. 2011. Middle Palaeolithic cave taphonomy: discerning humans from hyenas at Arcy-sur-Cure, France. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 22(5):591-602 [ER 3088]
Geography
Country: France
Coordinate: 48° 36' 30" N, 4° 46' 59" E
Latlng basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Min Ma: 0.0402
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: coordinate based on Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure
"Middle Palaeolithic" and the overlying level F has a date of 40, 200 +/- 1500 ybp (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
"Middle Palaeolithic" and the overlying level F has a date of 40, 200 +/- 1500 ybp (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: cave
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The lithic assemblage of Level I is a denticulate Mousterian" and "corresponds to middle Peniglacial climatic conditions and probably dates to around 50 000 or more years ago... Geologically, this level is not homogeneous, ranging from a very thin, clayey-sand matrix with dense archaeological and faunal remains in the low gallery to the north, to a thick, sandy‐silt matrix with large limestone blocks and slabs from the collapse of the cave entrance roof"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores, rodents, ungulates, other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 1444 specimens
Years: 2006 - 2008
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "Excavation was commenced in 1995... All sediments were water screened through fine 2-mm mesh" and the reported material was recovered from 2006 to 2008
Metadata
Sample no: 3366
Contributor no: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2019-08-27 10:06:57
Modified: 2023-04-03 09:17:31
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
14 species
1 singleton
total count 1444
geometric series index: 16.6
Fisher's α: 2.15
geometric series k: 0.6546
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.763
Shannon's H: 1.7538
Good's u: 0.9993
Register
| Equus ferus (wild horse) | 453 | |
| "Equus germanicus" (questionably referred) | ||
| Rangifer tarandus (reindeer) | 494 | 69.0 kg |
| Crocuta sp. | 123 | |
| "Crocuta crocuta": possibly C. spelaea | ||
| Vulpes vulpes (red fox) | 80 | |
| †Ursus spelaeus (cave bear) | 125 | |
| †Bison priscus (bison) | 67 | |
| Canis lupus (gray wolf) | 47 | 43.0 kg |
| Cervus elaphus (red deer) | 8 | |
| †Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth) | 21 | |
| Rupicapra rupicapra (chamois) | 8 | 27.0 kg |
| Marmota marmota | 5 | |
| Lepus sp. | 10 | |
| Panthera sp. | 1 | |
| †Coelodonta antiquitatis (woolly rhinoceros) | 2 | |