Grotte du Bison (Level I)
Basic information
Sample name: Grotte du Bison (Level I)
Sample aka: Arcy-sur-Cure
Reference: J. G. Enloe. 2011. Middle Palaeolithic cave taphonomy: discerning humans from hyenas at Arcy-sur-Cure, France. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 22(5):591-602 [ER 3088]
Geography
Country: France
Coordinate: 47° 35' 30" N, 3° 45' 59" E
Coordinate basis: based on nearby landmark
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Min Ma: 0.0402
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: coordinate based on Caves of Arcy-sur-Cure
"Middle Palaeolithic" and the overlying level F has a date of 40,200 +/- 1500 ybp (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
"Middle Palaeolithic" and the overlying level F has a date of 40,200 +/- 1500 ybp (presumed to be uncalibrated because the error is symmetrically distributed)
Environment
Lithology: sandstone
Taphonomic context: cave
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The lithic assemblage of Level I is a denticulate Mousterian" and "corresponds to middle Peniglacial climatic conditions and probably dates to around 50 000 or more years ago... Geologically, this level is not homogeneous, ranging from a very thin, clayey-sand matrix with dense archaeological and faunal remains in the low gallery to the north, to a thick, sandy‐silt matrix with large limestone blocks and slabs from the collapse of the cave entrance roof"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 1444 specimens
Years: 2006 - 2008
Sampling comments: "Excavation was commenced in 1995... All sediments were water screened through fine 2-mm mesh" and the reported material was recovered from 2006 to 2008
Metadata
Sample number: 3366
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Created: 2019-08-27 10:06:57
Modified: 2023-04-03 09:17:31
Abundance distribution
14 species
1 singleton
total count 1444
extrapolated richness: 16.6
Fisher's α: 2.150
geometric series k: 0.6206
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7630
Shannon's H: 1.7538
Good's u: 0.9993
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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| Equus ferus | 453 | 422 kg |
| "Equus germanicus" (questionably referred) | ||
| Rangifer tarandus | 494 | 69 kg browser |
| Crocuta sp. | 123 | |
| "Crocuta crocuta": possibly C. spelaea | ||
| Vulpes vulpes | 80 | 5.3 kg carnivore-insectivore |
| Ursus spelaeus | 125 | |
| Bison priscus | 67 | |
| Canis lupus | 47 | 43 kg carnivore |
| Cervus elaphus | 8 | 104 kg |
| Mammuthus primigenius | 21 | |
| Rupicapra rupicapra | 8 | 27 kg browser-grazer |
| Marmota marmota | 5 | |
| Lepus sp. | 10 | |
| Panthera sp. | 1 | |
| Coelodonta antiquitatis | 2 | |
Current reference:
Huckleberry et al. 2001 (ER 3215)