Jinsitai Cave (Layer 7)
Basic information
Sample name: Jinsitai Cave (Layer 7)

Reference: F. Li, S. L. Kuhn, F. Chen, Y. Wang, J. Southon, F. Peng, M. Shan, C. Wang, J. Ge, X. Wang, T. Yun, and X. Gao. 2018. The easternmost Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) from Jinsitai Cave, North China. Journal of Human Evolution 114:76-84 [ER 3735]
Geography
Country: China

State: Inner Mongolia



Coordinate: 45° 14' 23" N, 115° 28' 32" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Late Pleistocene

Section: 3735

Unit number: 1

Unit order: above to below

Max Ma: 0.03492

Min Ma: 0.03421

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Jinsitai Cave is located in the low foothills of the Donghaierhan Mountains, 25 km west of the town of Alatanheli in Inner Mongolia, northern China".
"For Layer 7, AMS radiocarbon dating was conducted on one charcoal and five bone samples. The dates from bone samples treated by ultrafiltration yielded uncalibrated ages of 34,920 ± 360 BP and 34,210 ± 370 BP, with an inferred age range of 40,286 to 37,825 cal. BP".

Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)

Taphonomic context: cave,human accumulation

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "Jinsitai cave, which is around 120 m2 in area, is situated in a granite hill. Nine clear stratigraphic layers were identified and exposed over a depth of approximately 3.6 m. The sediments are composed mainly of yellow-brown gravels, clayey silt, clay, and silty sand with granite breccia".
"A total of 720 lithic artefacts were found during the 2012–2013 excavations in layer 7 (231) and layer 8 (489). The lithic assemblages from these layers contain a range of artifacts, including cores, flakes, and as many as 93 modified tools and 18 tool fragments". These artefacts "closely resemble the Mousterian industries of central and western Eurasia".

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 63 specimens

Years: 2012 - 2013

Sampling comments: "The Jinsitai Cave was first excavated in 2000–2001, although these initial excavations were not well controlled and the lithic assemblages were not properly described". The site was thus reinvestigated in 2012–2013".
"The 2012–2013 excavations covered a maximum area of 10 m2". No further excavation details are provided.
"The preservation of bone is quite poor in the area sampled; only 150 vertebrate remains were piece-plotted from layers 7–8".

Metadata
Sample number: 3966

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-08-11 16:23:43

Modified: 2023-05-30 01:15:02

Abundance distribution
9 species
3 singletons
total count 63
geometric series index: 18.8
Fisher's α: 2.873
geometric series k: 0.6306
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.5625
Shannon's H: 1.3129
Good's u: 0.9534
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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