Motza (Middle PPNB)
Basic information
Sample name: Motza (Middle PPNB)

Sample aka: Tel Motza

Reference: L. Sapir-Hen, G. Bar-Oz, H. Khalaily, and T. Dayan. 2009. Gazelle exploitation in the early Neolithic site of Motza, Israel: the last of the gazelle hunters in the southern Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science 36(7):1538-1546 [ER 3751]
Geography
Country: Israel



Coordinate: 31° 47' 40" N, 35° 9' 50" E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Holocene

Section: 3751

Unit number: 2

Unit order: below to above

Max Ma: 0.0101

Min Ma: 0.0096

Age basis: radiocarbon (calibrated)

Geography comments: "Motza is an Early to Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) site located in the Judean Mountains, 5 km west of Jerusalem".
"Layer V, the Middle PPNB stratum, has been dated to 10,100–9600 cal. BP".

Environment
Lithology: not described

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement

Archaeology: bone tools,hearths,stone tools,other artifacts

Habitat comments: "The Neolithic site of Motza was first noted in the 1920s when artefacts including arrowheads, sickle blades and bifaces, were collected during a cursory survey. The first in situ Neolithic remains were discovered in 2000 when a test trench was excavated at the southern margin of the site".
"There were no architectural features except for a few constructed small hearths. Tools, on the other hand, were abundant, including points, sickle blades, bone tools, and a remarkable hafted tool". Other flint tools (axes and knives), a figurine of an ox made of clay, a stone-carved human face, seeds, stone bracelets, and other objects have also been found from the site.

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals,turtles

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 649 specimens

Years: 2002, 2003

Sampling comments: "Two PPNB strata were uncovered in two seasons of excavation (2002, 2003)".
"The excavation grid was 1 m2, with a depth of 10 cm. Sediment from floors was wet sieved through 1 mm mesh, and material recovered from other areas was dry sieved through 2 mm mesh. Zooarchaeological finds were packed in separate bags that were labelled with the archaeological context".

Metadata
Sample number: 4000

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-10-07 14:40:04

Modified: 2023-05-30 01:58:27

Abundance distribution
14 species
1 singleton
total count 649
geometric series index: 18.1
Fisher's α: 2.520
geometric series k: 0.6467
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7340
Shannon's H: 1.6952
Good's u: 0.9985
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Gazella gazella28921 kg
also 88 "Body size Gazelle"
Sus scrofa6054 kg herbivore
also 50 "Body size Sus"
Capra sp.51
also 45 Caprinae indet.
Bos primigenius18
also 9 "Body size Bos"
Capreolus capreolus122 kg browser
Vulpes vulpes545.3 kg carnivore-insectivore
also 52 "Body size Vulpes"
Felis lybica184.5 kg carnivore
"Felis silvestris": species assignment based on geography
Martes foina51.3 kg carnivore-frugivore
Canis lupus343 kg carnivore
Meles meles210 kg invertivore-herbivore
Testudo graeca136
Lepus capensis7
Sciurus sp.2
Erinaceus europaeus3