Badmal (Period IB)
Basic information
Sample name: Badmal (Period IB)
Sample aka: Badmal Asurgarh
Reference: P. Goyal, P. P. Joglekar, and P. K. Behera. 2014. The Iron Age faunal economy at Badmal, District Sambalpur, Odisha. Man and Environment 39(1):52-61 [ER 3652]
Geography
Country: India
State: Odisha
Coordinate: 21° 6' 22" N, 84° 4' 37" E
Latlng basis: stated in text
Time interval: Holocene
Max Ma: 0.002642
Min Ma: 0.002511
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "The site of Badmal ... is about eighty kilometres south-east of the district headquarters of Sambalpur, Odisha"
It is "situated on a rocky terrain in the upper reaches of a perennial stream known as Harihar Jhor, a tributary of the Mahanadi"
"Six calibrated radiocarbon dates from the Iron Age deposits are available: five from sub-period IB and one from sub-period IC"
The period IB calibrated dates range from 838 B.C. to 617 B.C. (from Behera et al. 2007)
It is "situated on a rocky terrain in the upper reaches of a perennial stream known as Harihar Jhor, a tributary of the Mahanadi"
"Six calibrated radiocarbon dates from the Iron Age deposits are available: five from sub-period IB and one from sub-period IC"
The period IB calibrated dates range from 838 B.C. to 617 B.C. (from Behera et al. 2007)
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation, settlement
Archaeology: bone tools, ceramics, metal tools, stone tools, other artifacts
Habitat comments: "The site covers an area of about 200 x 200 m and is bounded on four sides with an earth rampart ... with at least three entrance ways"
"Changes in the ceramic and other material correlates recovered during the excavation established two periods of occupation: Iron Age (Period I) and Early Historic (Period II).
"The Iron Age is divided into three sub-periods: IA, IB, and IC based on changes in the ceramic assemblage"
"During the Iron Age period the settlement was confined to a limited area, mainly towards the highest northern sector of the mound"
"Major findings of the Iron Age period include earthen wares of different types, terracotta artefacts, stone sling balls, iron objects, stone axe, and artefacts made on bones and antlers"
"A number of bones revealed evidence of human activity in the form of cut/butchering and charring marks"
"Changes in the ceramic and other material correlates recovered during the excavation established two periods of occupation: Iron Age (Period I) and Early Historic (Period II).
"The Iron Age is divided into three sub-periods: IA, IB, and IC based on changes in the ceramic assemblage"
"During the Iron Age period the settlement was confined to a limited area, mainly towards the highest northern sector of the mound"
"Major findings of the Iron Age period include earthen wares of different types, terracotta artefacts, stone sling balls, iron objects, stone axe, and artefacts made on bones and antlers"
"A number of bones revealed evidence of human activity in the form of cut/butchering and charring marks"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores, rodents, ungulates, other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash
Sample size: 59 specimens
Net or trap nights: 0
Basal area status: not applicable
Sampling comments: "A number of animal skeletal fragments have been recovered from the Iron Age deposits. These have been retrieved by using both wet and dry sieve methods"
"The faunal material presented here was recovered from two trenches: Trench I and II"
"These trenches, measuring 3 x 3 m each, were located on the highest northern sector of the mound. Trench I was excavated to a depth of 260 cm"
A total of 641 animal skeletal fragments were analysed from these two trenches, of which only 441 could be identified (68.80%)"
"Period IB revealed the highest number of identified fragments (70.85%), while Period IC had the least (34.78%)".
"The faunal material presented here was recovered from two trenches: Trench I and II"
"These trenches, measuring 3 x 3 m each, were located on the highest northern sector of the mound. Trench I was excavated to a depth of 260 cm"
A total of 641 animal skeletal fragments were analysed from these two trenches, of which only 441 could be identified (68.80%)"
"Period IB revealed the highest number of identified fragments (70.85%), while Period IC had the least (34.78%)".
Metadata
Sample no: 3834
Contributor no: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2021-08-11 13:27:49
Modified: 2023-02-25 11:29:17
Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
13 species
5 singletons
total count 59
geometric series index: 29.5
Fisher's α: 5.157
geometric series k: 0.7647
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7718
Shannon's H: 1.951
Good's u: 0.917
Register
| Bos indicus (zebu) | 25 | |
| Bubalus bubalis (water buffalo) | 7 | 425.0 kg |
| plus 247 Bovinae indet. "Bos/Bubalus" | ||
| Capra aegagrus hircus (wild goat) | 2 | |
| "Capra hircus" | ||
| Ovis aries (sheep) | 1 | |
| plus 40 Caprinae indet. "Capra/Ovis" | ||
| Canis lupus familiaris (gray wolf) | 5 | 43.0 kg |
| "Canis familiaris" | ||
| Boselaphus tragocamelus (nilgai) | 2 | 263.0 kg |
| Axis axis (chital) | 2 | 40.0 kg |
| Antilope cervicapra (blackbuck) | 4 | 41.0 kg |
| Sus sp. | 7 | |
| Panthera pardus (leopard) | 1 | |
| Lepus nigricollis | 1 | |
| Hystrix indica | 1 | 13.0 kg |
| Urva edwardsii | 1 | |
| "Herpestes edwardsii" | ||