Simbiro III
Basic information
Sample name: Simbiro III
Sample aka: Melka Kunture
Reference: M. Mussi, E. Mendez-Quintas, D. Barboni, H. Bocherens, R. Bonnefille, G. Briatico, D. Geraads, R. T. Melis, J. Panera, L. Pioli, A. Serodio Domínguez, and S. Rubio Jara. 2023. A surge in obsidian exploitation more than 1.2 million years ago at Simbiro III (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash, Ethiopia). Nature Ecology & Evolution 7:337-346 [ER 3874]
Geography
Country: Ethiopia
Coordinate: 8.71° N, 38.57° E
Coordinate basis: estimated from map
Time interval: Early Pleistocene
Max Ma: 1.3
Min Ma: 1.21
Age basis: other
Geography comments: "on the right bank of the Simbiro stream, a seasonal tributary of the Awash River" (coordinate estimated from Extended Data Fig. 1)
"the uppermost layer was dated by sample 2005-10 to 0.878 ± 0.014 Ma" (overlying the site) but this date is a low minimum and the authors imply a minimum of 1.21 Ma based on a published date from the overlying Kella Formation; they imply a maximum of 1.3 Ma because the underlying Melka Formation "is dated from 1.7 to 1.3 Ma"
"the uppermost layer was dated by sample 2005-10 to 0.878 ± 0.014 Ma" (overlying the site) but this date is a low minimum and the authors imply a minimum of 1.21 Ma based on a published date from the overlying Kella Formation; they imply a maximum of 1.3 Ma because the underlying Melka Formation "is dated from 1.7 to 1.3 Ma"
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: fluvial deposit
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: the artefacts are from level C, which consists of "obsidian artefacts and subordinate lava cobbles in a coarse sand matrix... The sedimentological characteristics suggest a flood event" deposited the sand
the fossils are primarily from levels A, B, and E and only a few are from level C; levels B and E are described as lag deposits (the former in a "sand matrix") and level A as "discontinuous beds" of unclear lithology
the site includes " a high-density deposit of 578 stone tools"
there is no discussion of how the fossils were accumulated
the fossils are primarily from levels A, B, and E and only a few are from level C; levels B and E are described as lag deposits (the former in a "sand matrix") and level A as "discontinuous beds" of unclear lithology
the site includes " a high-density deposit of 578 stone tools"
there is no discussion of how the fossils were accumulated
Methods
Life forms: primates,ungulates
Sampling methods: quarry
Sample size: 58 specimens
Years: 1973 - 1976, 2004
Sampling comments: the original excavations of the entire section from 1973 to 1976 (see Supplementary Information A) were supplemented with a "test pit" in 2004
Metadata
Sample number: 4252
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2023-04-24 20:01:17
Modified: 2023-04-24 10:01:17
Abundance distribution
11 species
5 singletons
total count 58
geometric series index: 25.1
Fisher's α: 4.020
geometric series k: 0.7277
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7526
Shannon's H: 1.7793
Good's u: 0.9138
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Damaliscus cf. lunatus | 3 | 122 kg grazer |
| †Connochaetes cf. gentryi | 5 | |
| Megalotragus sp. | 5 | |
| plus five other Alcelaphini | ||
| †Pelorovis turkanensis | 1 | |
| †Pelorovis oldowayensis | 1 | |
| plus 11 other Bovini | ||
| Hippotragus sp. | 3 | |
| questionably referred | ||
| Reduncini indet. | 1 | |
| plus 12 other Bovidae | ||
| Equus sp. | 13 | |
| "probably all" this genus | ||
| Hippopotamus cf. amphibius | 24 | 1107 kg grazer |
| Suidae indet. | 1 | |
| "not Phacochoerus" | ||
| †Theropithecus oswaldi | 1 | |