Hay Cave (SU3)
Basic information
Sample name: Hay Cave (SU3)
Reference: H. Lourandos, B. David, N. Roche, C. Rowe, A. Holden, and S. J. Clarke. 2012. Hay Cave: A 30 000 year cultural sequence from the Mitchell-Palmer limestone zone, north Queensland, Australia. In Peopled landscapes: archaeological and biogeographic approaches to landscapes (eds. S. Haberle, B. David), pp. 27-63 [ER 3683]
Geography
Country: Australia
State: Queensland
Coordinate: 16° 6' S, 144° 7' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Max Ma: 0.032
Min Ma: 0.02324
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Hay Cave is a large limestone cave positioned between the Mitchell and Palmer rivers, towards the northern limits of the Mitchell-Palmer limestone belt, 140 km west of the eastern Australian coastline" in Far-North Queensland.
Stratigraphic Unit 3 (SU3) contains the deepest excavated levels, with a near-basal date of 29,700 ± 1100 BP from XU60. The three deeper excavation units were likely deposited from around 32,000 years ago. The upper boundary layer of SU3 has a radiocarbon date of 23,240 ± 320 BP.
Stratigraphic Unit 3 (SU3) contains the deepest excavated levels, with a near-basal date of 29,700 ± 1100 BP from XU60. The three deeper excavation units were likely deposited from around 32,000 years ago. The upper boundary layer of SU3 has a radiocarbon date of 23,240 ± 320 BP.
Environment
Lithology: limestone
Taphonomic context: cave
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: The lowermost stratigraphic unit (SU3) is highly compact and clayey. It is culturally sterile compared to the upper units, with no stratigraphic evidence of hearths, although several flaked stone artefacts were present.
The few stone artefacts suggest overall low levels of site use during this time.
The few stone artefacts suggest overall low levels of site use during this time.
Methods
Life forms: rodents,other large mammals,other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 105 specimens
Years: 1996
Sampling comments: Archaeological excavations were undertaken in 1996.
"Four juxtaposed 50 x 50 cm squares were excavated, the deepest of which (M30) was removed in 63 Excavation Units (XU) of mean 2.0 cm thickness and following Stratigraphic Units (SU) where visible".
"All sediments were sieved in 3 mm mesh sieves".
"Four juxtaposed 50 x 50 cm squares were excavated, the deepest of which (M30) was removed in 63 Excavation Units (XU) of mean 2.0 cm thickness and following Stratigraphic Units (SU) where visible".
"All sediments were sieved in 3 mm mesh sieves".
Metadata
Sample number: 3848
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-01-18 13:03:49
Modified: 2022-01-18 06:01:06
Abundance distribution
18 species
10 singletons
total count 105
geometric series index: 56.4
Fisher's α: 6.253
geometric series k: 0.7954
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7098
Shannon's H: 1.7810
Good's u: 0.9053
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Notamacropus agilis | 1 | 14 kg browser-grazer |
| "Macropus agilis" | ||
| Notamacropus parryi | 5 | |
| "Macropus parryi" | ||
| Osphranter robustus | 1 | 14 kg |
| "Macropus robustus" | ||
| Petrogale sp. | 49 | |
| also 25 Macropodidae indet. | ||
| Petaurus norfolcensis | 2 | |
| Isoodon macrourus | 1 | 70.3 g |
| Bettongia tropica | 1 | |
| Phascogale tapoatafa | 1 | |
| also 1 Phascogale sp. and 2 Dasyuridae indet. | ||
| Sminthopsis murina | 1 | |
| Conilurus penicillatus | 6 | |
| Mesembriomys gouldii | 1 | |
| Uromys caudimaculatus | 1 | |
| Rattus tunneyi | 2 | |
| also 13 Rattus sp. | ||
| Melomys burtoni | 3 | |
| Zyzomys argurus | 1 | |
| Pseudomys gracilicaudatus | 26 | |
| Pseudomys patrius | 1 | |
| Pseudomys sp. | 2 | |
| "sp. 1"; also 156 Muridae indet. | ||