Open spaces at Çatalhöyük are at once simple and multifarious. We use familiar terms to refer to ... more Open spaces at Çatalhöyük are at once simple and multifarious. We use familiar terms to refer to them. At times we conflate them with the accumulation of discard and waste, and at other times we frame them as an extension of the domestic sphere. Yet these portrayals inevitably fall short of encapsulating the intricacy of open spaces in the Neolithic architectural landscape. As the common physical and social setting for the inhabitants of Çatalhöyük, open spaces represent materialized consensus. This study highlights the multiplicity and complexity of open spaces. It also emphasizes how the Neolithic inhabitants of Çatalhöyük fashioned and engaged with their built environment through time. Beyond serving as proxies for changing social structures and ownership regimes, the use and development of open spaces can inform our understanding of responses to the challenges of long-term sedentism.
The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the ma... more The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the material world. In the Middle East, these interactions were important components of broader social and ritual developments which came about with the rise of sedentary communities. In this paper, we examine the significance of these processes as represented by elaborate flint daggers at the site of Çatalhöyük in Central Anatolia. Detailed analyses of the manufacture, use and deposition of these items indicate that they were central nodes in multiple social and material relations, and functioned as durable facets of…
In Hodder, I. (ed.) The matter of Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2009-2017 Seasons. Çatalhöyük Research project Series no.14, 2021
Beads form the largest part of bodily adornment at Çatalhöyük. Over 43,000 beads have thus far b... more Beads form the largest part of bodily adornment at Çatalhöyük. Over 43,000 beads have thus far been found during Mellaart’s excavations and the Çatalhöyük Research Project (ÇRP) excavations, in a variety of deposits that span over 1,000 years of the occupation of the settlement. Although this chapter is primarily focused on the research conducted in the last segment of the project (2009–2017), it also provides an overview of the entire bead assemblage that was recovered during the 25 years of the ÇRP.
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and rit... more From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. ; D’Errico ). In the Levant and Anatolia, symbolic practices with pigments became increasingly common in the epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods (e.g., Bocquentin and Garrard ; Goring-Morris, Hovers, and Belfer-Cohen ; Richter et al. ; Baird ; Baird et al. ).
The use of human teeth for ornamental purposes is archaeologically documented from the European U... more The use of human teeth for ornamental purposes is archaeologically documented from the European Upper Palaeolithic, and, sporadically, during the subsequent Mesolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. To date, no examples of this practice are available for the Near East during this time frame. This contribution presents three human teeth from Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Central Anatolia, Turkey; 7100–6000 cal BC) that appear to have been modified for use as pendants. Macroscopic, microscopic and radiographic analyses confirm the modification and use of two out of three of these finds. The two confirmed pendants were likely extracted from the skeletonised remains of mature and old adults, carefully drilled, and worn for a variable period of time. The rarity of such artefacts in the prehistoric Near East suggests a profound symbolic meaning for this practice and these objects, and provides new insights into the funerary customs and symbolic importance of the use of human body parts during the Neolithic of the Near East.
Bains, Roseleen, Milena Vasić, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef, Nerissa Russell, Katherine I. Wright, and C... more Bains, Roseleen, Milena Vasić, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef, Nerissa Russell, Katherine I. Wright, and Chris Doherty 2013 A technological approach to the study of personal ornamentation and social expression at Çatalhöyük. In Substantive Technologies at Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2000-2008 Seasons. I. Hodder, ed. Pp. 331-363. Monumenta Archaeologica, No. 31. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles.
The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the ma... more The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the material world. In the Middle East, these interactions were important components of broader social and ritual developments which came about with the rise of sedentary communities. In this paper, we examine the significance of these processes as represented by elaborate flint daggers at the site of Çatalhöyük in Central Anatolia. Detailed analyses of the manufacture, use and deposition of these items indicate that they were central nodes in multiple social and material relations, and functioned as durable facets of Çatalhöyük's artisanal social fabric. Their presence at the apogee of Çatalhöyük's ritual florescence further identifies their importance to particular segments of the community. Studying the intentionality of dagger production and use, we conclude, allows us to comment on the particulars of material milieu in shaping the social networks necessary for the development of large-scale sedentary communities.
Hodder I., Tsoraki C. (eds), Communities at Work: The Making of Çatalhöyük. (Çatalhöyük Research Project Series 15). , 2021
Excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing work at... more Excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing work at any Neolithic settlement in the world. It was James Mellaart who first investigated the site between 1961 and 1965, then the excavations were continued by Ian Hodder from 1993 to 2017. Both Mellaart and Hodder were ahead of their respective times in the history of science. Their works at the site fully reflect important changes in archaeology (which occurred over the last several decades) in regard to perspectives, theories, and techniques. In fact, major discrepancies between the methodological and theoretical approaches of Mellaart and Hodder have made comparing the archives of both projects unusually challenging. Mellaart led rapid, large area excavations, employing teams of local workmen and a couple of field supervisors. This was a traditional excavation strategy that favoured discovery of remnants of many buildings, elaborate wall paintings, and large artefacts. Under Hodder, excavations were also extensive, but employed an international team of archaeologists as well as detailed recording techniques and scientific methods of modern archaeology. The main aim of this 25-year-long project was to situate the elaborate symbolic production at the site within its full environmental, economic and social context. However, over the years, the research focus has been switched from individual buildings to social geography of the settlement as a whole and larger community structure, including neighbourhoods and lineage groups. Consequently, more attention was paid to relationships between contemporary buildings and open spaces. An impulse for this switch in research was given by an advanced programme on chronology which combined substantial numbers of radiocarbon dates with the site stratigraphy using formal Bayesian statistical modelling. Hodder excavations were published in detail in a series of monographs. Much discussion on the layout of the settlement and its organisation is, however, still based on the schematic ‘level’ plans published in the 1960s. The reexamination of the remnants of several contemporary structures within one of the 1960s trenches (former Mellaart A and B and present GDN Area) at Çatalhöyük East Mound provided an opportunity to bring archives of Mellaart and Hodder projects together a d to illustrate potential implications for uncritical use of archive data. The GDN research incorporates results from Mellaart archive’s queries, as well as recent excavations, building archaeology research, and the laboratory analysis of various artefacts and materials found during the investigations. The intraprofessional collaboration and the integration of diversified data within their context allows to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of cooperation, coresidence and standardization/specialization in regard to late and final phases of occupation. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in further excavations at the site.
Hodder, I. & Tsoraki, C. (eds), Communities at Work: The Making of Çatalhöyük. Çatalhöyük Research Project Series Volume 15. London: British Institute at Ankara., 2020
Archaeological excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-s... more Archaeological excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing investigations at any Neolithic settlement in the world. James Mellaart was the first to investigate the site between 1961 and 1965, then the excavations were reopened by Ian Hodder from 1993 to 2017. Both research projects fully reflect important changes in archaeology in regard to perspectives, theories and techniques. However, as these excavations are separated by a few decades, Mellaart and Hodder offer us two different views on Late Neolithic Çatalhöyük, including its history, religion, as well as social and spatial organisation. It is the same archaeological site but described through theories and methods that are not part of the same archaeological paradigm. The GDN excavations at the site enable the records of the Mellaart and Hodder projects to be used in a more integrated way and illustrates potential implications for uncritical use of the archival data, notably in regard to the chronology of events and nature of building life cycles. Furthermore, collaboration between different specialists and the integration of diversified datasets within their context allows us to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of social organisation, including co-operation, co-residence, standardisation and specialisation within a late contemporary neighbourhood. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in future excavations at the site.
Issavi, J., Pawłowska, K., Vasić, M., Veropoulidou, R.
Investigations of open spaces within th... more Issavi, J., Pawłowska, K., Vasić, M., Veropoulidou, R.
Investigations of open spaces within the context of the Southwest Asian Neolithic are varied in approach and in how explicitly they center these spaces within the study. The term “open space,” for this article, refers to any space not covered by an architectural feature such as a roof or other permanent covering. Open spaces have variously been discussed as arenas of daily or utilitarian activities, shared property or communal space, places of ritual, public spaces, courtyards (yards), conduits for movement, or undifferentiated spaces.
Open spaces at Çatalhöyük are at once simple and multifarious. We use familiar terms to refer to ... more Open spaces at Çatalhöyük are at once simple and multifarious. We use familiar terms to refer to them. At times we conflate them with the accumulation of discard and waste, and at other times we frame them as an extension of the domestic sphere. Yet these portrayals inevitably fall short of encapsulating the intricacy of open spaces in the Neolithic architectural landscape. As the common physical and social setting for the inhabitants of Çatalhöyük, open spaces represent materialized consensus. This study highlights the multiplicity and complexity of open spaces. It also emphasizes how the Neolithic inhabitants of Çatalhöyük fashioned and engaged with their built environment through time. Beyond serving as proxies for changing social structures and ownership regimes, the use and development of open spaces can inform our understanding of responses to the challenges of long-term sedentism.
The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the ma... more The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the material world. In the Middle East, these interactions were important components of broader social and ritual developments which came about with the rise of sedentary communities. In this paper, we examine the significance of these processes as represented by elaborate flint daggers at the site of Çatalhöyük in Central Anatolia. Detailed analyses of the manufacture, use and deposition of these items indicate that they were central nodes in multiple social and material relations, and functioned as durable facets of…
In Hodder, I. (ed.) The matter of Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2009-2017 Seasons. Çatalhöyük Research project Series no.14, 2021
Beads form the largest part of bodily adornment at Çatalhöyük. Over 43,000 beads have thus far b... more Beads form the largest part of bodily adornment at Çatalhöyük. Over 43,000 beads have thus far been found during Mellaart’s excavations and the Çatalhöyük Research Project (ÇRP) excavations, in a variety of deposits that span over 1,000 years of the occupation of the settlement. Although this chapter is primarily focused on the research conducted in the last segment of the project (2009–2017), it also provides an overview of the entire bead assemblage that was recovered during the 25 years of the ÇRP.
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and rit... more From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. ; D’Errico ). In the Levant and Anatolia, symbolic practices with pigments became increasingly common in the epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods (e.g., Bocquentin and Garrard ; Goring-Morris, Hovers, and Belfer-Cohen ; Richter et al. ; Baird ; Baird et al. ).
The use of human teeth for ornamental purposes is archaeologically documented from the European U... more The use of human teeth for ornamental purposes is archaeologically documented from the European Upper Palaeolithic, and, sporadically, during the subsequent Mesolithic, Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. To date, no examples of this practice are available for the Near East during this time frame. This contribution presents three human teeth from Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Central Anatolia, Turkey; 7100–6000 cal BC) that appear to have been modified for use as pendants. Macroscopic, microscopic and radiographic analyses confirm the modification and use of two out of three of these finds. The two confirmed pendants were likely extracted from the skeletonised remains of mature and old adults, carefully drilled, and worn for a variable period of time. The rarity of such artefacts in the prehistoric Near East suggests a profound symbolic meaning for this practice and these objects, and provides new insights into the funerary customs and symbolic importance of the use of human body parts during the Neolithic of the Near East.
Bains, Roseleen, Milena Vasić, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef, Nerissa Russell, Katherine I. Wright, and C... more Bains, Roseleen, Milena Vasić, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef, Nerissa Russell, Katherine I. Wright, and Chris Doherty 2013 A technological approach to the study of personal ornamentation and social expression at Çatalhöyük. In Substantive Technologies at Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2000-2008 Seasons. I. Hodder, ed. Pp. 331-363. Monumenta Archaeologica, No. 31. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles.
The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the ma... more The Neolithic period bore witness to the emergence of novel engagements between humans and the material world. In the Middle East, these interactions were important components of broader social and ritual developments which came about with the rise of sedentary communities. In this paper, we examine the significance of these processes as represented by elaborate flint daggers at the site of Çatalhöyük in Central Anatolia. Detailed analyses of the manufacture, use and deposition of these items indicate that they were central nodes in multiple social and material relations, and functioned as durable facets of Çatalhöyük's artisanal social fabric. Their presence at the apogee of Çatalhöyük's ritual florescence further identifies their importance to particular segments of the community. Studying the intentionality of dagger production and use, we conclude, allows us to comment on the particulars of material milieu in shaping the social networks necessary for the development of large-scale sedentary communities.
Hodder I., Tsoraki C. (eds), Communities at Work: The Making of Çatalhöyük. (Çatalhöyük Research Project Series 15). , 2021
Excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing work at... more Excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing work at any Neolithic settlement in the world. It was James Mellaart who first investigated the site between 1961 and 1965, then the excavations were continued by Ian Hodder from 1993 to 2017. Both Mellaart and Hodder were ahead of their respective times in the history of science. Their works at the site fully reflect important changes in archaeology (which occurred over the last several decades) in regard to perspectives, theories, and techniques. In fact, major discrepancies between the methodological and theoretical approaches of Mellaart and Hodder have made comparing the archives of both projects unusually challenging. Mellaart led rapid, large area excavations, employing teams of local workmen and a couple of field supervisors. This was a traditional excavation strategy that favoured discovery of remnants of many buildings, elaborate wall paintings, and large artefacts. Under Hodder, excavations were also extensive, but employed an international team of archaeologists as well as detailed recording techniques and scientific methods of modern archaeology. The main aim of this 25-year-long project was to situate the elaborate symbolic production at the site within its full environmental, economic and social context. However, over the years, the research focus has been switched from individual buildings to social geography of the settlement as a whole and larger community structure, including neighbourhoods and lineage groups. Consequently, more attention was paid to relationships between contemporary buildings and open spaces. An impulse for this switch in research was given by an advanced programme on chronology which combined substantial numbers of radiocarbon dates with the site stratigraphy using formal Bayesian statistical modelling. Hodder excavations were published in detail in a series of monographs. Much discussion on the layout of the settlement and its organisation is, however, still based on the schematic ‘level’ plans published in the 1960s. The reexamination of the remnants of several contemporary structures within one of the 1960s trenches (former Mellaart A and B and present GDN Area) at Çatalhöyük East Mound provided an opportunity to bring archives of Mellaart and Hodder projects together a d to illustrate potential implications for uncritical use of archive data. The GDN research incorporates results from Mellaart archive’s queries, as well as recent excavations, building archaeology research, and the laboratory analysis of various artefacts and materials found during the investigations. The intraprofessional collaboration and the integration of diversified data within their context allows to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of cooperation, coresidence and standardization/specialization in regard to late and final phases of occupation. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in further excavations at the site.
Hodder, I. & Tsoraki, C. (eds), Communities at Work: The Making of Çatalhöyük. Çatalhöyük Research Project Series Volume 15. London: British Institute at Ankara., 2020
Archaeological excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-s... more Archaeological excavations at Çatalhöyük represent one of the most extensive, detailed and long-standing investigations at any Neolithic settlement in the world. James Mellaart was the first to investigate the site between 1961 and 1965, then the excavations were reopened by Ian Hodder from 1993 to 2017. Both research projects fully reflect important changes in archaeology in regard to perspectives, theories and techniques. However, as these excavations are separated by a few decades, Mellaart and Hodder offer us two different views on Late Neolithic Çatalhöyük, including its history, religion, as well as social and spatial organisation. It is the same archaeological site but described through theories and methods that are not part of the same archaeological paradigm. The GDN excavations at the site enable the records of the Mellaart and Hodder projects to be used in a more integrated way and illustrates potential implications for uncritical use of the archival data, notably in regard to the chronology of events and nature of building life cycles. Furthermore, collaboration between different specialists and the integration of diversified datasets within their context allows us to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of social organisation, including co-operation, co-residence, standardisation and specialisation within a late contemporary neighbourhood. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in future excavations at the site.
Issavi, J., Pawłowska, K., Vasić, M., Veropoulidou, R.
Investigations of open spaces within th... more Issavi, J., Pawłowska, K., Vasić, M., Veropoulidou, R.
Investigations of open spaces within the context of the Southwest Asian Neolithic are varied in approach and in how explicitly they center these spaces within the study. The term “open space,” for this article, refers to any space not covered by an architectural feature such as a roof or other permanent covering. Open spaces have variously been discussed as arenas of daily or utilitarian activities, shared property or communal space, places of ritual, public spaces, courtyards (yards), conduits for movement, or undifferentiated spaces.
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Papers by Milena Vasic
2013 A technological approach to the study of personal ornamentation and social expression at Çatalhöyük. In Substantive Technologies at Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2000-2008 Seasons. I. Hodder, ed. Pp. 331-363. Monumenta Archaeologica, No. 31. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles.
Books by Milena Vasic
Their works at the site fully reflect important changes in archaeology (which occurred over the last several decades) in regard to perspectives, theories, and techniques. In fact, major discrepancies between the methodological and theoretical approaches of Mellaart and Hodder have made comparing the archives of both projects unusually challenging. Mellaart led rapid, large area excavations, employing teams of local workmen and a couple of field supervisors. This was a traditional excavation strategy that favoured discovery of remnants of many buildings, elaborate wall paintings, and large artefacts. Under Hodder, excavations were also extensive, but employed an international team of archaeologists as well as detailed recording techniques and scientific methods of modern archaeology. The main aim of this 25-year-long project was to situate the elaborate symbolic production at the site within its full environmental, economic and social context. However, over the years, the research focus has been switched from individual buildings to social geography of the settlement as a whole and larger community structure, including neighbourhoods and lineage groups. Consequently, more attention was paid to relationships between contemporary buildings and open spaces. An impulse for this switch in research was given by an advanced programme on chronology which combined substantial numbers of radiocarbon dates with the site stratigraphy using formal Bayesian statistical modelling.
Hodder excavations were published in detail in a series of monographs. Much discussion on the layout of the settlement and its organisation is, however, still based on the schematic ‘level’ plans published in the 1960s. The reexamination of the remnants of several contemporary structures within one of the 1960s trenches (former Mellaart A and B and present GDN Area) at Çatalhöyük East Mound provided an opportunity to bring archives of Mellaart and Hodder projects together a d to illustrate potential implications for uncritical use of archive data.
The GDN research incorporates results from Mellaart archive’s queries, as well as recent excavations, building archaeology research, and the laboratory analysis of various artefacts and materials found during the investigations. The intraprofessional collaboration and the integration of diversified data within their context allows to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of cooperation, coresidence and standardization/specialization in regard to late and final phases of occupation. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in further excavations at the site.
Journal papers by Milena Vasic
Investigations of open spaces within the context of the Southwest Asian Neolithic are varied in approach and in how explicitly they center these spaces within the study. The term “open space,” for this article, refers to any space not covered by an architectural feature such as a roof or other permanent covering. Open spaces have variously been discussed as arenas of daily or utilitarian activities, shared property or communal space, places of ritual, public spaces, courtyards (yards), conduits for movement, or undifferentiated spaces.
2013 A technological approach to the study of personal ornamentation and social expression at Çatalhöyük. In Substantive Technologies at Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 2000-2008 Seasons. I. Hodder, ed. Pp. 331-363. Monumenta Archaeologica, No. 31. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of California, Los Angeles.
Their works at the site fully reflect important changes in archaeology (which occurred over the last several decades) in regard to perspectives, theories, and techniques. In fact, major discrepancies between the methodological and theoretical approaches of Mellaart and Hodder have made comparing the archives of both projects unusually challenging. Mellaart led rapid, large area excavations, employing teams of local workmen and a couple of field supervisors. This was a traditional excavation strategy that favoured discovery of remnants of many buildings, elaborate wall paintings, and large artefacts. Under Hodder, excavations were also extensive, but employed an international team of archaeologists as well as detailed recording techniques and scientific methods of modern archaeology. The main aim of this 25-year-long project was to situate the elaborate symbolic production at the site within its full environmental, economic and social context. However, over the years, the research focus has been switched from individual buildings to social geography of the settlement as a whole and larger community structure, including neighbourhoods and lineage groups. Consequently, more attention was paid to relationships between contemporary buildings and open spaces. An impulse for this switch in research was given by an advanced programme on chronology which combined substantial numbers of radiocarbon dates with the site stratigraphy using formal Bayesian statistical modelling.
Hodder excavations were published in detail in a series of monographs. Much discussion on the layout of the settlement and its organisation is, however, still based on the schematic ‘level’ plans published in the 1960s. The reexamination of the remnants of several contemporary structures within one of the 1960s trenches (former Mellaart A and B and present GDN Area) at Çatalhöyük East Mound provided an opportunity to bring archives of Mellaart and Hodder projects together a d to illustrate potential implications for uncritical use of archive data.
The GDN research incorporates results from Mellaart archive’s queries, as well as recent excavations, building archaeology research, and the laboratory analysis of various artefacts and materials found during the investigations. The intraprofessional collaboration and the integration of diversified data within their context allows to challenge some previous interpretations and shed new light on issues of cooperation, coresidence and standardization/specialization in regard to late and final phases of occupation. Additionally, the chapter addresses new research questions to be considered in further excavations at the site.
Investigations of open spaces within the context of the Southwest Asian Neolithic are varied in approach and in how explicitly they center these spaces within the study. The term “open space,” for this article, refers to any space not covered by an architectural feature such as a roof or other permanent covering. Open spaces have variously been discussed as arenas of daily or utilitarian activities, shared property or communal space, places of ritual, public spaces, courtyards (yards), conduits for movement, or undifferentiated spaces.