Otson Tsokhio and Zuun Shovkh
Basic information
Sample name: Otson Tsokhio and Zuun Shovkh
Reference: L. Janz, A. M. Rosen, D. Bukhchuluun, and D. Odsuren. 2021. Zaraa Uul: An archaeological record of Pleistocene-Holocene palaeoecology in the Gobi Desert. PloS One 16:e0249848 [ER 3794]
Geography
Country: Mongolia
State: Sükhbaatar
Coordinate: 46° 12' 18" N, 111° 48' 36" E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3794
Unit number: 1
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.029514
Min Ma: 0.023912
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Otson Tsokhio and Zuun Shovkh are two Early Upper Palaeolithic occupations a few km apart from each other and both within 2 km of Zaraa Uul, located in the desert-steppe transitional zone of eastern Mongolia in the Tuvshinshiree district, Sükhbaatar Province".
There are radiocarbon dates ranging from 29,514 to 23, 912 BP (~34,500–27,700 cal. BP).
There are radiocarbon dates ranging from 29,514 to 23, 912 BP (~34,500–27,700 cal. BP).
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools,other artifacts
Habitat comments: "The sites sit at the edge of an extensive in-filled basin, bounded by uplifted, folded terrestrial conglomerates and extrusive basalt flows, composed of incised Pleistocene marl from the remains of a vast saline paleolake. The two sites represent the last high stand of the Pleistocene saline lake".
"Bones and stone tools were seen weathering from the sand surface matrix. Ostrich eggshell fragments and one ostrich eggshell bead were also recovered. The majority of fauna were certainly deposited as a result of human activity".
"Bones and stone tools were seen weathering from the sand surface matrix. Ostrich eggshell fragments and one ostrich eggshell bead were also recovered. The majority of fauna were certainly deposited as a result of human activity".
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,frogs
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 27 specimens
Sampling comments: "Two 2 m x 2 m units were excavated, one at Otson Tsokhio and one at Zuun Shovkh. All sediment from these excavations was sieved using a 3 mm mesh. Each grid was laid out on a north-east to south-west axis, set parallel to the orientation of the local basin-range landforms. Small bone and seemingly undiagnostic fragments were collected, along with bone from the sieve. Artifacts and diagnostic or larger bone fragments were mapped in three dimensions within the grid using a string, line level and datum (10 cm above ground surface)".
Metadata
Sample number: 4125
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2023-02-25 12:32:42
Modified: 2023-05-30 05:43:21
Abundance distribution
16 species
10 singletons
total count 27
geometric series index: 72.1
Fisher's α: 16.514
geometric series k: 0.8983
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.9046
Shannon's H: 2.5870
Good's u: 0.6407
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Cricetidae indet. | 2 | |
| 5 Rodentia indet. | ||
| Lepus tolai | 1 | |
| Ochotona sp. | 1 | |
| Canis sp. | 1 | |
| Nyctereutes procyonoides | 1 | 4.2 kg invertivore-frugivore |
| Hyaenidae indet. | 2 | |
| Gulo sp. | 1 | |
| 4 Carnivora indet. | ||
| †Coelodonta antiquitatis | 1 | |
| Equus ferus | 4 | 422 kg |
| Equus hemionus | 5 | grazer |
| also 11 Equus sp. | ||
| Camelus ferus | 1 | |
| Bovinae indet. | 2 | |
| "Bos primigenius or Bison sp." | ||
| Ovis ammon | 1 | 76 kg browser-grazer |
| Antilopinae indet. | 1 | |
| Megaloceros sp. | 2 | |
| also 1 Cervidae indet. | ||
| Anura indet. | 1 | |