Sehonghong (RFS)
Basic information
Sample name: Sehonghong (RFS)
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: 29° 46' S, 28° 47' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3742
Unit number: 11
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.026
Min Ma: 0.0251
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".
Two radiocarbon determinations date Layer RFS from 26,000 ± 430 BP to 25,100 ± 300 BP.
Two radiocarbon determinations date Layer RFS from 26,000 ± 430 BP to 25,100 ± 300 BP.
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "Layer RFS (Rockfall with Sand) represents a major episode of roof collapse. The deposit comprises numerous thin sandstone spalls and angular rocks. The lithic assemblage is microlithic in character, with mean flake sizes slightly greater than those recorded for succeeding LSA layers; it is therefore assigned to the MSA/LSA transition".
"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".
"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: rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,birds,frogs,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 25 specimens
Sampled by: P. Mitchell
Years: 1992
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 number: 3989
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-25 17:21:15
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:40:57
Abundance distribution
8 species
5 singletons
total count 25
geometric series index: 28.2
Fisher's α: 4.068
geometric series k: 0.7100
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7017
Shannon's H: 1.5635
Good's u: 0.8033
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Procavia capensis | 1 | 2.8 kg browser |
| Phacochoerus africanus | 1 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| Connochaetes gnou | 2 | grazer |
| also 1 Alcelaphinae indet. | ||
| Raphicerus campestris | 1 | 9.7 kg browser-grazer |
| also 21 Bovidae indet. | ||
| Otomys sp. | 7 | |
| also 6 Rodentia indet. | ||
| Aves indet. | 1 | |
| Anura indet. | 11 | |
| Labeobarbus aeneus | 1 | |
| also 2 Labeoninae indet. | ||