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

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: 1

Unit order: below to above

Max Ma: 0.0011

Min Ma: 0.00105

Age basis: other

Geography comments: estimated from satellite map based on Fig. 1
"late 8th-9th c. AD" based on a "typological study of the site" and on two confirming radiocarbon dates (only 1 sd ranges are given, and it is not clear if they are 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: ungulates, birds

Sample size: 79 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: 4176

Contributor no: John Alroy

Enterer: John Alroy

Created: 2023-03-20 19:59:53

Modified: 2023-05-30 06:22:17

Abundance distribution
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts. Values are logged.
Statistics
6 species
1 singleton
total count 79
geometric series index: 8.5
Fisher's α: 1.509
geometric series k: 0.6154
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6736
Shannon's H: 1.322
Good's u: 0.9873
Register
Bos taurus (cow)34
Sus scrofa domesticus (pig)27
"Sus domesticus"
Ovis aries (sheep)10
also 53 indeterminate ovines
Capra aegagrus hircus (wild goat)3
"Capra hircus"
Cervidae indet.1
Cervus or Dama
Gallus gallus 4