| dc.description.abstract | This submission concerns a comparative study of the faunal
assemblages from selected Pastoral Neolithic sites in Kenya.
The sites are, Dongodien (GaJi4), Prolonged Drift (GrJil),
Maasai Gorge Rockshelter (GsJi25), Ngamuriak (GuJf6) and
Gogo Falls (GtJbl). The study observes in Chapter One that
whereas considerable comparative studies have been done on
lithic and pottery characteristics at different sites in Kenya,
little has hitherto been done on the faunal assemblages. The
writer's objective, therefore, is to compare subsistence
patterns and other cultural behaviours of the past inhabitants
of the selected sites as these are reflected in the faunal
remains In this regard, it is hypothesised in Chapter One
that site specific patterns of faunal remains reflect
differences in subsistence and other cultural behaviours among
Kenyan Pastoral Neolithic sites.
Chapter Two provides background information for the
sites under study. This information is comprised of the
geographical, environmental, dating -and cultural context of the sites. Specific and distinct characteristics of the sites
as provided in this chapter are referred to and used in
explaining certain differences and similarities between the sites
in the succeeding chapters.
Chapter Three provides faunal data from the sites. These
data are presented at four levels. These are, the methods of
analysis used by the original analysts, the composition and
taxonomic abundance, the age mortality profiles and the
cultural modification of the bones. It is preliminarily
observed in this chapter that differences and similarities
in the faunal assemblages exist between the sites. This
observation is discussed in greater detail in chapter four'.
Chapter Four, though primarily oriented to a comparative
exercise of the faunal assemblages, also provides a section
on the guidelines that the writer has used in the comparisons.
In this chapter as well, a section on 'problem areas' where
hindrances that are foreseen to deter a successful comparative
exercise of the faunal assemblages is presented. How these
hindrances are tackled is also discussed. The chapter proceeds
to compare the sites with regard to the size of the samples
recovered, the proportion of identified and non-identified
specimens, hunting and wild taxonomic abundance, herding and
domestic stock abundance, fishing, and butchery and meat
processing patterns as all these are reflected in the faunal
samples. In this effort, attempts are made to account for the
differences and similarities that exist between the sites
in relation to the above flamed aspects. It is observed that
Gogo Falls and Dongodien are more ~imilar to each other on
one hand whereas Maasai Gorge Rockshelter and Ngamuriak are
similar in most aspects on the other hand. Prolonged Drift
is distinct from the rest of the sites in some aspects and
similar in most other aspects to Gogo Falls and Dongodien.
In one aspect, Prolonged Drift is also similar to Ngamuriak
and Maasai Gorge Rockshelter.
Chapter Five consists of' summarised section on content.s
and findings discussed In the preceeding chapters. Specific
conclusions and assessment of the hypothesis are also presented
in this final Chapter. The study sustains the hypothesis set
out in Chapter One that sjte specific patterns of the faunal remains ,
reflect differences in subsistence patterns and other cultural
behaviours among Kenyan Pastoral Neolithic sites. This is supported
by the differences between the sites observed in Chapter Four.
It is noted that these differences determine a possible categorizati
of the sites into two major groups on the basis of differences in
subsistence patterns and other cultural behaviours that are
reflected in the faunal assemblages. Group I is comprised of
Gogo Falls, Dongodien and Prolonged Drift. These are further
sub-divided into Group Ia and lb. Group Ia is comprised of
Gogo Falls and Dongodien. These two are similar to each other in
most aspects, among them, the presence of fish fauna and more
reliance on wild species than domestic stock. Group Ib represents
Prolonged Drift which though similar to Group Ia in most aspects,
does not show more reliance on sheep/goats as infered from data on
domestic stock at the site. Group II is comprised of Ngamuriak
and Maasai Gorge Rockshelter which are-similar to each other in most aspects, among them, the absence of fish fauna and more
reliance on domestic stock than wild species for subsistence | en |
