Wadh Lang'o (Urewe)
Basic information
Sample name: Wadh Lang'o (Urewe)
Reference: P. Lane, C. Ashley, O. Seitsonen, P. Harvey, S. Mire, and F. Odede. 2007. The transition to farming in eastern Africa: New faunal and dating evidence from Wadh Lang'o and Usenge, Kenya. Antiquity 81:62-81 [ER 3703]
Geography
Country: Kenya
State: Nyanza
Coordinate: 0° 25' S, 34° 44' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text as range
Time interval: Holocene
Section: 3703.1
Unit number: 3
Unit order: below to above
Max Ma: 0.001698
Min Ma: 0.001449
Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)
Geography comments: "The site of Wadh Lang’o lies at c. 1200 m asl, alongside rapids of the Sondu-Miriu River, which empties into the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, in South Nyanza, Kenya".
Radiocarbon dates for the "Urewe" deposits range from 1698 ± 28 BP to 1449 ± 28 BP.
Radiocarbon dates for the "Urewe" deposits range from 1698 ± 28 BP to 1449 ± 28 BP.
Environment
Lithology: not described
Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement
Archaeology: ceramics,hearths,stone tools
Habitat comments: "The Wadh Lang’o site contains a well-stratified sequence of deposits extending back at least to the pre-ceramic Late Stone Age, with successive layers of Kansyore, Elmenteitan, Urewe, post-Urewe Middle Iron Age (MIA) wares, and historic Luo material, in each case associated with well preserved faunal assemblages".
The upper layers consist of a series of mixed ashy/loam deposits associated with Urewe and MIA ceramics.
In addition to ceramics, various stone tools including cores, microliths, scrapers and blades were also present. Numerous deep cut marks were observed on some bone fragments, as well as some evidence of burning.
The upper layers consist of a series of mixed ashy/loam deposits associated with Urewe and MIA ceramics.
In addition to ceramics, various stone tools including cores, microliths, scrapers and blades were also present. Numerous deep cut marks were observed on some bone fragments, as well as some evidence of burning.
Methods
Life forms: ungulates,fishes
Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash
Sample size: 164 specimens
Years: 2000-2004
Sampling comments: "During initial investigation, eight test-pits, mostly 1 × 1m, were excavated at various localities across the site".
In June and July 2001, a 5 × 5m trench was excavated a few metres upslope from Trench 5, and in 2004, a further two 2 × 2m test pits to the south-west and south-east of the main 2001 excavation were dug.
"All deposits were dry sieved through 5mm mesh sieves".
In June and July 2001, a 5 × 5m trench was excavated a few metres upslope from Trench 5, and in 2004, a further two 2 × 2m test pits to the south-west and south-east of the main 2001 excavation were dug.
"All deposits were dry sieved through 5mm mesh sieves".
Metadata
Sample number: 3910
Contributor: Benjamin Carter
Enterer: Benjamin Carter
Created: 2022-03-03 14:20:58
Modified: 2023-05-01 00:27:08
Abundance distribution
10 species
3 singletons
total count 164
extrapolated richness: 17.7
Fisher's α: 2.347
geometric series k: 0.5853
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.4144
Shannon's H: 1.0188
Good's u: 0.9818
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
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| Syncerus caffer | 8 | 548 kg grazer-browser |
| Bos sp. | 1 | |
| Madoqua sp. | 2 | |
| Cephalophinae indet. | 1 | |
| Aepyceros melampus | 7 | 51 kg browser-grazer |
| Caprinae indet. | 124 | |
| "Ovicaprine" | ||
| Eudorcas thomsonii | 10 | 20 kg |
| "Gazella thomsoni" | ||
| Phacochoerus africanus | 1 | 82 kg grazer-browser |
| Cyprinidae indet. | 7 | |