Characteristics of modern foraging camps and their faunas from lake Turkana, Kenya

Little is known about the physical characteristics or taxonomie composition of aquatic foraging camps. In a 1994 paper we presented data on 19 aquatic foraging camps located on the shores of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Procurement, processing and preparation activities at the camps were observed, and, based on these, four categories of site were identified: day camps, short and long-term base camps, fish processing camps and fish waste discard sites. Analysis of the fish bone assemblages from the camps indicated that these different categories were reflected in differences in the assemblages. ln this paper we present data on the mammal, bird and reptile remains recovered from these camps. This data indicates that, similar to the fish bone, these remains also vary in large part according to their category of camp. The data presented in this paper and our previous paper aids in the recognition and interpretation of the remains of such camps in fossil contexts.