Sehonghong (RF)
Basic information
Sample name: Sehonghong (RF)

Reference: I. Plug and P. Mitchell. 2008. Sehonghong: hunter-gatherer utilization of animal resources in the highlands of Lesotho. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 45:31-53 [ER 3742]
Geography
Country: Lesotho

State: Thaba-Tseka

Coordinate: 30° 46' S, 29° 47' E
Latlng basis: stated in text

Time interval: Late Pleistocene

Section: 3742

Unit number: 6

Unit order: above to below

Ma: 0.01218

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Sehonghong is a large rock-shelter on the banks of the Sehonghong River, close to its confluence with the Senqu (Orange/Gariep) in the Thaba Tseka District of the highlands of Lesotho. The site lies at an elevation of 1800 m above sea level".
Layer RF dates to 12, 180 ± 110 BP based on a single radiocarbon date.

Environment
Lithology: ash

Taphonomic context: human accumulation, rock shelter

Archaeology: hearths, stone tools

Habitat comments: "Layer RF (Rockfall) consists of a major rockfall within and below which is a black, organic-rich loam with well-preserved macroplant remains and several grindstones. The plant remains and artefacts are interstratified with the rocks. Its lithic assemblage has been assigned to the Robberg Industry". Hearths are present throughout all of the Pleistocene layers.
"While not all of the animal remains in the deposit would have been accumulated by people, the intense degree of fragmentation and burning that characterizes the Sehonghong assemblages strongly suggests that people were responsible for acquiring almost all of the faunal remains".

Methods
Life forms: bats, carnivores, primates, rodents, ungulates, other large mammals, other small mammals, birds, lizards, frogs, fishes, clams, snails

Sampling methods: quarry, screenwash

Sample size: 916 specimens

Sampled by: P. Mitchell

Years: 1992

Net or trap nights: 0

Basal area status: not applicable

Sampling comments: "The primary excavation of the site was conducted by P. Mitchell in 1992. All sediment removed from the deposits was dry-sieved through a 1.5 mm mesh".

Metadata
Sample no: 3984

Contributor no: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-08-25 15:30:55

Modified: 2023-05-30 01:41:11

Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
33 species
5 singletons
total count 916
geometric series index: 47.5
Fisher's α: 6.7
geometric series k: 0.8263
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7289
Shannon's H: 2.0459
Good's u: 0.9945
Register
Chiroptera indet.2
Soricidae indet.4
"Shrew"
Papio hamadryas (hamadryas baboon)312.0 kg
Canis mesomelas (black-backed jackal)27.9 kg
Herpestidae indet.3
Panthera pardus (leopard)1
Panthera leo (lion)1147.0 kg
Caracal caracal (caracal)3
also 3 Felidae indet.
Equus capensis (horse)1
Equus quagga (plains zebra)21
also 10 Equus sp.
Procavia capensis (rock hyrax)1262.8 kg
Suidae indet.1
Connochaetes gnou (black wildebeest)22
Sylvicapra grimmia (common duiker)413.0 kg
Ourebia ourebi (oribi)614.0 kg
Raphicerus campestris (steenbok)99.7 kg
Pelea capreolus (grey rhebok)5216.0 kg
Hippotragus equinus (roan)6246.0 kg
Taurotragus oryx (common eland)57
"Tragelaphus oryx"
Redunca fulvorufula (mountain reedbuck)629.0 kg
also 313 Bovidae indet.
Hystrix africaeaustralis 1415.0 kg
Cryptomys hottentotus 6
Otomys sp. 33
also 37 Rodentia indet.
Lepus saxatilis 32.0 kg
also 8 Lagomorpha indet.
Strigiformes indet.1
also 30 Aves indet., including 11 "Francolins"
Pseudocordylus melanotus 9
also 8 Lacertilia/Reptilia indet.
Anura indet.16
"Frog/toad"
Achatina sp. 3
Unio caffer 2
also 6 Unionidae indet.
Labeobarbus kimberleyensis 16
Labeobarbus aeneus 449
Labeo capensis 23
also 974 Labeoninae indet.
Austroglanis sclateri 11