Chagyrskaya Cave (Layer 6)
Basic information
Sample name: Chagyrskaya Cave (Layer 6)
Reference: N. Rudaya, S. Vasiliev, B. Viola, S. Talamo, and S. Markin. 2017. Palaeoenvironments during the period of the Neanderthals settlement in Chagyrskaya cave (Altai Mountains, Russia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 467:265-276 [ER 3736]
Geography
Country: Russia
State: Altai Republic
Coordinate: 51° 26' 34" N, 83° 9' 18" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Time interval: Late Pleistocene
Section: 3736
Unit number: 2
Unit order: above to below
Max Ma: 0.050524
Min Ma: 0.045672
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "Chagyrskaya Cave is situated on the left bank of the Charysh River in the mountain branches of the Tigirek Range, Altai Mountains, Russia. The cave faces north and is elevated 25 m above the river level".
The radiocarbon dates generated on samples from Layer 6 range from 50,524 ± 833 to 45,672 ± 481 years BP. These, together with the infinite dates of >49 and >52 kyr BP, relate this stratum to the end of MIS4 and the very early onset of MIS3".
The radiocarbon dates generated on samples from Layer 6 range from 50,524 ± 833 to 45,672 ± 481 years BP. These, together with the infinite dates of >49 and >52 kyr BP, relate this stratum to the end of MIS4 and the very early onset of MIS3".
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: cave,human accumulation
Archaeology: stone tools
Habitat comments: "The cave consists of two chambers of approximately 130 m2. There are seven lithological units in total containing Holocene (1-4) and Pleistocene strata (5–7). The upper part of the Pleistocene deposits is mostly composed of sub-aerial sediments including two layers of loess-like sediments (strata 5 and 6)".
"More than 70,000 artefacts were unevenly dispersed over the middle and upper Pleistocene sediments. The composition of the lithic industries is similar across strata, although the richest lithic assemblages were found in Layer 6".
"The main lithic categories are flakes, chips and tools. Blades, bifacial thinning chips, cores, and core and bifacial preforms are rare".
"The cave was used as a base camp for the butchering and processing of hunted game by Neanderthals".
"More than 70,000 artefacts were unevenly dispersed over the middle and upper Pleistocene sediments. The composition of the lithic industries is similar across strata, although the richest lithic assemblages were found in Layer 6".
"The main lithic categories are flakes, chips and tools. Blades, bifacial thinning chips, cores, and core and bifacial preforms are rare".
"The cave was used as a base camp for the butchering and processing of hunted game by Neanderthals".
Methods
Life forms: bats,carnivores,primates,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,birds,frogs,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 2802 specimens
Years: 2007 - 2013
Sampling comments: "The fossils from Chagyrskaya Cave were recovered over seven years of excavations (2007–2013) and consist of 195,800 specimens. Fossils that can be identified to the species, genus, or class level comprise only 3.4% of the total assemblage". No additional excavation details are given.
Metadata
Sample number: 3969
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-08-13 11:57:36
Modified: 2023-05-30 01:18:21
Abundance distribution
37 species
3 singletons
total count 2802
extrapolated richness: 45.3
Fisher's α: 6.021
geometric series k: 0.8270
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8551
Shannon's H: 2.5308
Good's u: 0.9989
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Current reference:
Buss and Smith 1966 (ER 2040)