Boomplaas Cave (Member BLA)
Basic information
Sample name: Boomplaas Cave (Member BLA)

Reference: J. T. Faith. 2013. Taphonomic and paleoecological change in the large mammal sequence from Boomplaas Cave, western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Human Evolution 65(6):715-730 [ER 3779]
Geography
Country: South Africa

State: Western Cape



Coordinate: 33° 22' 14" S, 22° 9' 31" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3779

Unit number: 2

Unit order: above to below

Ma: 0.0064

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Boomplaas Cave is located in the Cango Valley in the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range, north of Oudtshoorn, Eden District Municipality in the Western Cape Province, South Africa".
The BLA member of the deposit has been radiocarbon dated to 6400 ± 75 BP (7171–7433 cal. BP).

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: cave,human accumulation

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "Boomplaas Cave contains a stratified sequence of Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Late Stone Age (LSA) deposits spanning the last 65,000 years. People were the primary accumulators of the faunal remains in the LSA assemblages younger than ∼18,000 years ago (CL to BLD). In the LSA and MSA deposits dating from 18,000 to 50,000 years ago (BOL to GWA), a combination of humans, carnivores, and raptors accumulated the faunal remains, while the lowermost units were accumulated by carnivores and raptors".
The artifacts from BLA are assigned to the Wilton industry, characterised by a higher frequency of backed tools than in BLD, associated with small scrapers and adzes.

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other large mammals,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 225 specimens

Sampled by: H. J. Deacon

Years: 1974 - 1979

Sampling comments: "Excavations were conducted by H.J. Deacon from 1974 to 1979. In 2009 and 2010, taphonomic and taxonomic data were collected on thousands of previously unsorted specimens, in addition to those previously examined. All MSA and LSA units were examined with the exception of the uppermost pastoralist levels (member DGL)".

Metadata
Sample number: 4083

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2023-02-23 12:58:29

Modified: 2023-05-30 04:57:05

Abundance distribution
14 species
6 singletons
total count 225
geometric series index: 29.3
Fisher's α: 3.306
geometric series k: 0.6893
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.6435
Shannon's H: 1.4943
Good's u: 0.9734
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Lepus capensis2
Bunolagus monticularis21
also 2 Leporidae indet.
Hystrix africaeaustralis315 kg browser
Papio ursinus3420 kg
Canis cf. mesomelas17.9 kg carnivore
Felis lybica1
Panthera pardus133 kg carnivore
Procavia capensis1262.8 kg browser
Equus sp.4
zebra/quagga
Redunca fulvorufula129 kg
Redunca arundinum1 grazer
also 2 Redunca sp.
Pelea capreolus1016 kg grazer
Oreotragus oreotragus19 browser-grazer
Raphicerus melanotis19.1 kg
also 16 Raphicerus sp. and 8 Neotragini indet.