Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL2.2)
Basic information
Sample name: Enkapune Ya Muto (RBL2.2)

Sample aka: Twilight Cave

Reference: C. W. Marean. 1992. Hunter to herder: large mammal remains from the hunter-gatherer occupation at Enkapune Ya Muto rock-shelter, Central Rift, Kenya. The African Archaeological Review 10(1):65-127 [ER 3705]
Geography
Country: Kenya



Coordinate: 0° 50' S, 36° 9' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3705

Unit number: 3

Unit order: above to below

Max Ma: 0.005265

Min Ma: 0.00486

Age basis: radiocarbon (uncalibrated)

Geography comments: "Enkapune Ya Muto (EYM), also known as Twilight Cave, is a large enclosed rock-shelter located on a steep slope in a large incised gully on the eastern face of the Mau Escarpment above the Naivasha basin in the Central Rift Valley of Kenya".
Radiocarbon dates for the RBL2.2 layers range from 5265 ± 220 BP to 4860 ± 70 BP.

Environment
Lithology: ash

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,rock shelter

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "The Mau Escarpment is mostly formed of volcanic ashes and tufts with occasional outcrops of agglomerates and more heavily consolidated lavas. The stratigraphy was complex but the layers were typically distinct and horizontal".
"The six major EYM aggregates preserve various forms of evidence inconsistent with accumulations by porcupines and carnivores, indicating persistent occupation of the shelter by people".
Human accumulation of the remains is "further substantiated by the density of artefacts and the high frequencies of cutmarks on the bones". Stone tools of the Eburran industry, "characterized by geometric and non-geometric microliths produced from narrow blades of obsidian", are present.

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

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 329 specimens

Sampling comments: "The site was excavated during the two field seasons in 18 1-m squares, placed primarily in the northern section of the rock-shelter. The depth of the deposits, over 5 m, along with a rock shelf warranted reduction of the area excavated in the deeper deposits".

Metadata
Sample number: 3916

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-03-07 13:12:28

Modified: 2023-05-29 23:33:30

Abundance distribution
23 species
5 singletons
total count 329
geometric series index: 35.2
Fisher's α: 5.631
geometric series k: 0.8180
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.8727
Shannon's H: 2.4263
Good's u: 0.9848
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Alcelaphus buselaphus8143 kg grazer-browser
Ourebia ourebi1914 kg grazer-browser
Raphicerus campestris169.7 kg browser-grazer
Redunca sp.34
"bohor/mountain reedbuck"
Sylvicapra grimmia8313 kg browser-grazer
Syncerus caffer2548 kg grazer-browser
Tragelaphus scriptus5531 kg browser-grazer
also 2843 Bovidae indet.
Suidae indet.5
Acinonyx jubatus442 kg carnivore
Canis mesomelas17.9 kg carnivore
Crocuta crocuta466 kg carnivore
Felis lybica14.5 kg carnivore
Leptailurus serval3210 kg carnivore
"Felis serval"
Herpestinae indet.4
Hyaena hyaena130 kg carnivore-insectivore
Panthera pardus833 kg carnivore
Proteles cristatus19.1 kg insectivore
"Proteles cristata"
Chlorocebus aethiops7 frugivore-folivore
"Cercopithecus aethiops"
Homo sapiens164 kg
Lepus capensis3
Papio sp.2
Procaviidae indet.23
Thryonomys gregorianus152.2 kg