ÇATALHÖYÜK 1998 ARCHIVE REPORT

The Excavation of the North Area 1998

by Craig Cessford

The primary aim of the 1998 season in the North Area was to remove the remaining walls of Building 1, plus surrounding deposits. and remove the underlying infilling deposits to reveal the structure beneath Building 1. The excavation and recording procedures were the same as those employed in 1997 with a few minor alterations. Sampling procedures were the same as the previous season but more intensive phytolith, phosphate and chemical residue sampling was undertaken on selected units particularly floors. Work took place between the 16th of July and the 13th of September involving a team of five excavators; Adnan Baysal, Åsa Berggren, Serdar Cengiz, Mark Knight and Sharon Webb under the supervision of Craig Cessford. During the 1998 season unit numbers 2565-2599, 3000-3099, 3200-3299, 3800-3899 and 4000-4028 and feature numbers 217-249 and 350-358 were assigned in the North Area. Discussion of the work can be broadly divided into a number of areas: 

  • Construction of Building 1 
  • The external relations of Building 1. 
  • Infilling deposits between Building 1 and its predecessor, Building 5. 
  • The abandonment/demolition phase of Building 5. 
  • The final occupation phase of Building 5. 
  • Earlier phases of Building 5. 

Construction of Building 1 - [Phase B1.1].

The only structural elements of Building 1 remaining in-situ after the 1997 season were the outer walls : F.1/F.5 [northern wall], F.2 [western wall], F.4/F.6 [southern wall] and F.7 [eastern wall]. The removal of these generally confirmed the pattern identified during the 1997 season (Lucas 1997a). The walls of Building 1 were generally built directly on top of the walls of Building 5, a common practice at the site (Matthews & Farid 1996, 297), although the two structures were on slightly different alignments. This change in alignments was presumably necessitated by changes in the surrounding buildings between the construction of Building 5 and Building 1. The walls of Building 1 consisted of between two and four successive 'lifts' identifiable as different types of brick and mortar which could be identifiable on all four sides. In general a 'lift' consisted of two or three courses of bricks. This clearly shows that all the walls were built simultaneously a few courses at a time rather than successively. Heavy residue analysis [pers. comm. Julie Near] indicated that the raw materials for the individual 'lifts' of bricks and mortar were derived from different sources, this is supported by the presence of different pottery types [see Last this volume Pottery report]. 

The walls of Building 5 must have been deliberately levelled to provide a firm foundation for Building 1, prior to the infilling process. The walls in the north-west corner were levelled to a lower height than the other walls, this meant that the they were covered by the infilling deposits. Subsequently a foundation trench [3040] was dug in this area to allow the walls of Building 1 to lie directly on those of Building 5. This also necessitated the laying of an extra 'lift' of bricks and mortar in this area which was wrongly identified in 1997 as part of Building 5. The levelling of the walls of Building 5 to different heights, a phenomenon noted elsewhere such as Building 4 [see Farid this volume], was interpreted as relating to the heights to which walls survived in a good enough condition to be considered appropriate to serve as foundations for a subsequent building. This suggests that some walls survived in better conditions than others and can be viewed in terms of weathering patterns influenced by the nature of surrounding spaces and prevailing wind direction. 

Table 1: Equivalent walls of Building 5 and Building 1.

Immediately prior to the construction of the walls of Building 1 a large pit F.223 which was c.1.1 by 1.4m and c.1.25m deep was dug in the north-west corner of space 154. This was presumably for the removal of some structural element of Building 5 or some artefacts deposited in Building 5. Unfortunately no evidence was recovered to indicate what exactly the material was that was removed. Stratigraphically F.223 resembles pit F.17 which was dug after the abandonment of Building 1 to destroy/remove a wall relief. F.223 occupies a rather anomalous position stratigraphically and it is possible to view it as either the last act of Building 5, the first act of Building 1 or a combination of the two. As such it may represent a deliberate symbolic act which 'closed' the life-cycle of one building and 'opened' the life-cycle of another in a manner similar to that suggested for a deposit of potstands on the West Mound [Last this volume West Mound report].

Table 2: Building 1 Wall Units.

A number of radiocarbon dates have now been obtained for Building 1. They relate to the earliest phases of Building 1 and centre around an uncorrected date of circa 7900 BP. (see Table 3)

On the basis of associated artefacts Building 1 has been equated with Mellaart phase V or VI as has Building 3 in the BACH area. Building 1, however, appears to be older than Building 5 and the radiocarbon dates are comparable to those from phase VII and VIII buildings in the Mellaart area. 

External Relations of Building 1 - [Phase B1.E].

Building 1 can be related to a number of surrounding walls and buildings to create a relative constructional sequence, in all cases these relationships apply only to the construction of the walls concerned and does not necessarily relate to later stages in their life-cycle. 

To the north of Building 1 wall F.217, the southern wall of spaces 30/32/33, is clearly later than Building 1 as it lies over layer (2593) which has built up against the northern wall of Building 1 F.1/F.5. 

Wall F.219 to the west of Building 1 must be earlier than Building 1 as layer (2558), which lies under wall F.2 of Building 1, has built up against wall F.219. Cleaning of this area revealed that wall 219 was probably the eastern end of a building. 

Wall F.218, the northern wall of spaces 74/75/76, which lies to the south of Building 1 is also of a later date as it overlies a whole series of deposits in space 153 which have built up against wall F.4/F.6 of Building 1. These deposits underlying wall F.218, which include (3021), (3022), (3029), (3030), (3034), (3035), (3036), (3038), (3039), (3053), (3054), (3055) and (3056), must post-date or be contemporary with phase 1 of Building 1 as they have built up against the wall of the building. They are, however, cut by the insertion of fire installation F.39 into wall F.6 and must therefore pre-date its construction in phase 2. It is therefore probable that these deposits were dumped during the latter part of phase 1 and may form a deliberate part of the constructional process of Building 1as they would have served to protect the outer lower portions of wall F.4/F.6. These deposits and the artefacts that they contain appear to have been heat affected in-situ, this is presumably partially due to the fire installation F.39 but the effects are too widespread to be purely due to this and appear to have been mainly caused by the phase 5 fire in the southern half of Building 1. These layers contained a range of interesting objects including a bone cluster (3037) with an animal figurine [3037.H1] [see Hamilton this volume] interpreted as the remains of feasting [see Russell and Martin this volume] as well as a pottery, including cluster (3031), [see Last this volume Pottery report] concentrations of microfauna indicative of owl pellets [pers comm. Peter Andrews], botanical remains [Near in Hastorf this volume] and some crudely made clay beads and figurines [ e.g. 3053.X1] [see Hamilton this volume]. 

To the south-east of Building 1 walls F.221 and F.222 are bonded together and form the north-west corner of a structure. This appears to have been cut by the insertion of wall F.7 of Building 1 and therefore this building is earlier than Building 1. The accumulation of deposits (3042), (30430, (3044), (3045) and (3046) between walls F.7 and F.222 would appear to pre-date phase 5 of Building 1 as these have been heat affected in-situ in a similar manner to the deposits to the south of the building. These units share a large number of elements with the units to the south of Building 1 including their general appearance and artifactual contents. It appears that they are part of the same general depositional sequence whereas those excavated further north in space 73 in previous seasons where the space is wider appear to indicate a different pattern. Walls F.221/222 appear to form part of a small structure, possibly an ante-chamber, with an internal west-east diameter of c.1.0m with thick layering of wall plaster and containing burnt deposits [space 77]. 

Wall F.221 appears to have been built against wall F.220 to the east of Building 1, this sequence is confirmed by the fact that deposits underlying walls F.221/F.222 have built up against wall F.220. Wall F.220 is thus earlier than wall F.221/F.222 and must consequently be earlier than Building 1. 

Relations between Building 5, which underlies Building 1, and other structures are less clear. It must be earlier than walls F.221/222 as the deposits which underlie these walls have built up against the eastern wall of Building 5. The relations between Building 5 and walls F.219 and F.220 cannot be determined at this stage. 

Although the neighbouring walls surrounding Building 1 betray a pattern of different constructional dates the occupation of the structures that they relate to may nonetheless be at least partially contemporary with Building 1. It is interesting to note that the narrow gaps to the west and east of Building 1, spaces 69 and 73, seem to be of some longevity as they were in existence during the period of Building 5 as well. 

Infilling between Building 1 and Building 5 - [Phase B5/B1]

The deposits which were used to infill Building 5 prior to the construction of Building 1 generally consisted of a series of broadly similar deposits which were excavated in arbitrary 0.1m spits. There is no particular difference between them and the foundation deposits of Building 1 excavated in 1997 where the final unit reached was (2558) (Lucas 1997a) and these units should all be considered as stages in a single process. These deposits had indistinct boundaries and no signs of internal bedding and appear to have been rapidly deposited . They were artefactually relatively sterile and consisted mainly of finely broken up building materials which contained some larger identifiable fragments of brick, mortar, wall plaster and roof material. Some of this material appeared from visual inspection to have been derived from the walls of Building 5. When viewed in section these deposits could be seen to be composed of a large number of individual small interdigitated dumps with clear tip lines representing single depositional events. There was no overall pattern of direction with regards to how this material was deposited and it appears to have been thrown in from a number of locations. In Space 154 the deposits clearly mounded up in the centre indicative of them having been thrown in from multiple directions. The pattern and nature of the infilling shows that the roof and upper portions of the walls of Building 5 were removed prior to its infilling. 

At the bottom of the infilling there was evidence for a number of specific collapse events within the infilling process. In the north-east part of space 157 a group of brick fragments (3244) were interpreted as the collapse of wall F.230 over the doorway between spaces 154 and 157. A plaster deposit (3236) between spaces 154 and 155 was also interpreted as the collapse of the structure over a doorway. 

A few distinctive finds were recovered from the infilling deposits the most notable of which was a fish hook made of boars tusk [3047.F1] [see Russell this volume] [Figure 15]. These generally appear to be residual material, a possible exception to this are a number of cattle scapulae which may have been used as tools during the infilling process. 

Table 4: Phase B5/B1 Infilling Units 

Building 5.

General Layout.

Building 5 [Figure 13 and Figure 14] is a rectangular structure c.9.0m west-east by 6.0m north-south covering an area of 54m2 . It is subdivided into four spaces, the main central space 154 covers an area of 3.8m west-east by 4.7m north-south [17.9m2]. To the east of space 154 is a long narrow rectangular space 155 which is 4.9m north-south by 1.2m west-east [5.9m2]. The area to the west of space 154 is sub-divided into two spaces 156 and 157. Space 157 to the south is a square 2.0m north-south by 2.0m west-east [4.0m2]. Space 156 to the north is a rectangle 2.8m north-south by 2.0m west-east [5.6m2]. 

Spaces 155 and 157 were directly accessible from the central space 154, space 155 by a doorway in the north-east corner of space 154, space 157 via a doorway on the south-east side of space 154. Space 156 was only accessible via space 157. These doorways show signs of elaboration with sinuous curving profiles, only the lower portions survive but they are probably similar to other examples at the site (Mellaart 1967, 56) and c.0.7m high. 

Abandonment/Demolition of Building 5 - [Phase B5.A]

The abandonment of Building 5 appears to immediately precede its infilling of and the construction of Building 1. There is no evidence that Building 5 stood empty for any period of time after it went out of use. The first act of the abandonment process must have been the removal of the roof of building 5 and the upper parts of the walls, that this occurred at this stage can be inferred from the demolition of several internal features [F.240, F.241, F.351, F.354] which is unlikely to have occurred while the roof was in-situ. Additionally the later infilling deposits clearly demonstrate that the roof was no longer in place. The roof and walls must have been removed in a controlled manner as there is no evidence that this process caused any damage to the rest of Building 5. Some of the material from the roof and walls was subsequently re-used during the infilling process so it was presumably stored nearby for a short time, perhaps in an adjacent midden area. The nature of the infilling deposits suggests that the roof and wall material was broken down and processed or 'screened' in some manner before being used for infilling [see Farid this volume]. 

Relatively few artefacts and no substantial occupation type deposits were found sealed by the infilling deposits, this suggests that as part of the abandonment process Building 5 was thoroughly cleaned. 

After this cleaning and the removal of the roof and upper parts of the walls of Building 5 a number of internal features were demolished or removed. 

Space 154

Ladder/Stairs F.244. 

In space 154 the ladder F.244 in the south-east corner was removed from wall F.224 leaving a scar in the plaster. A large oval pit [3291], c.1.65 by 1.0m and c.0.5m deep, was also cut in the south-east corner of the space, this pit was probably related to the removal of ladder F.244. The nature of the evidence on wall F.224, which shows that the ladder was not removed during re-plasterings, and the fact that ladder F.244 appears to have provided the sole access to Building 5 throughout its history suggests that F.244 was a major feature which may have had foundations that extended beneath the floors of Building 5. The general use of the term 'ladder' at Çatalhöyük may be rather misleading, implying as it does a relatively flimsy structure, perhaps F.244 should rather be thought of as a set of stairs. The ladder impressions found by Mellaart had squared timbers 0.1 to 0.125m thick placed against the wall (Mellaart 1967, 56) and the ladder from Building 5 appears to have been of similar dimensions. Pit [3291] would appear to be rather larger than necessary for the removal of F.244, discoveries during the 1960's excavations and more specifically the obsidian cache [1460] from Building 1 suggest that the pit may also have served to retrieve a cache of obsidian. Whilst the upper part of pit [3291] contained general infilling material (3263) there was also a lower deposit (3275) which probably accumulated during the abandonment process. This suggests that the removal of F.244 was one of the earlier events in the abandonment process. In particular (3275) contained fragments of oven lining, these were probably derived from the demolition of oven F.242. 

Oven F.242. 

The superstructure of the large oval domed oven F.242 set into niche F.246 in the southern wall F.224 was largely demolished. This superstructure was broken up into relatively small pieces, much of this material (3851) was simply left lying where it fell on top of the latest layers associated with the use of the oven, (3852)/(4028). The demolition of the oven seems to have been an act of some violence with pieces of oven lining ending up in pit fill (3275) and also more generally in an area around the oven. The destruction of oven F.242 contrasts with the treatment of other ovens at the site such asF.87 in Building 4 which was carefully filled in and preserved when the respective building went out of use [see Farid this volume]. 

Post Retrieval Pits F.240/F.241. 

Two substantial squareish pits F.240/F.241 were cut against the eastern [F.229] and western [F.230] side walls of space 154.These pits are directly beneath scars in the plasters on walls F.229 and F.230 and in common with similar pits discovered last year in Building 2 were presumably for the removal of large plaster covered timber posts. Both these pits were c. 0.8 by 0.8m in size and c. 0.5m deep, the scars in the wall plaster suggest that the original wooden posts may have been c.0.4 to 0.5m wide and were probably square. Whilst these posts undoubtedly performed a structural role in supporting the roof they probably also performed a spatial function in helping divide space 154 into northern and southern halves. 

Post F.358 

A smaller plastered timber post F.358 in the south-west corner on space 154 was also removed leaving a scar in the wall plaster and a small cut [3806]. This post appears to have been only c.0.2 by 0.3m in size and was probably not structural in nature, it may have functioned as the western side of niche F.245 and would have served to emphasise this feature. It is not integral to the original construction of Building 5 and would seem to be a relatively late addition during the life-span of Building 5. Beneath cut [3806] caused by the removal of the post there was a deposit (3859) which was the original base of the feature. This contained a worked cattle sized pelvis with a zig-zag cut pattern [3859.X1] and a sheep skull with horn core [3859.X2]. These unusual finds suggest some form of foundation deposit at the base of post F.358. This is reminiscent of deposits at the base of posts [2154] and [2193] in Building 1. The retrieval of posts from abandoned buildings can be viewed in purely functional terms as the recovery of a valuable resource. The placement of foundation deposits under posts and the fact that they were also sometimes covered with red plaster suggests that posts may have been of considerable symbolic importance. The retrieval of posts and their subsequent re-use in later buildings may well have possessed symbolic overtones which stressed continuity between buildings. 

Cuts 3289/3867. 

Two small holes [3289] and [3867] were cut into the north-east and south-west corners of space 154 respectively. The size and shape of these holes suggest that they are post-holes and both cuts occupy similar positions in opposing corners of space 154 beside doorways leading from space 154 into the other spaces of Building 5. There is no evidence, for example in the form of scarring or other marks on the wall plaster, that these posts were ever structural components of Building 5. It seems likely that they were in fact dug during the abandonment phase of Building 5 to hold posts which were some form of scaffolding related to the demolition of the building. [3289] is c.0.6 by 0.4m and c.0.4m deep whilst [3867] is c.0.5 by 0.5m and 0.5m deep. 

Layers 3257, 3264, 3281, 3849. 

A number of layers lying over the latest floors of Building 5 and beneath the infilling deposits relate to the abandonment phase. (3257)/(3264) in the north-west quarter appear to be a small dump of material relating to clearance just prior to infilling, this material may have been derived from cut [3289]. (3281) which consists largely of plaster would seem to be a dump of material derived from the demolition of a plastered feature. This could well be one of the plastered posts in space 154, the plaster in (3281) had traces of several layers of red paint perhaps indicating that one or more of the plastered posts in space 154 was occasionally painted red. (3849) an ashy clay deposit on platform F.239 may be related to the removal of post F.358 or the digging of [3867]. 

Space 155

Pillar F.351 

The plaster covered mud-brick pillar F.351 at the north-western end of space 154 was demolished down to the height of the adjacent bench F.350. 

Partition Wall F.352 and Pillar/Post-Pad F.353. 

The narrow internal partition wall F.354 and the related pillar/post-pad F.353 were demolished down to the level of the adjacent floor surface. 

Pillar F.354. 

The pillar F.354 on the eastern side of space 154 was demolished down to a height c.0.1m above the surrounding floor deposits. 

Basins F.355/F.356. 

The upstanding northern lips of the plaster lined basins F.355 and F.356 were truncated down almost to the height of the rest of the basin. 

Walls F.224/F.225/F.229. 

The plaster on the upper parts of some sections of walls F.224, F.225 and F.229 around space 155 appears to have been deliberately removed creating an abrupt horizontal edge to the surviving plaster. This may suggest some form of decoration on the upper part of these walls which was felt worthy of removal. There is no evidence for the presence of substantial architectural features on the walls so this decoration must have been in the form of wall paintings. This receives some slight confirmation from the presence of a single red painted quatrefoil near the top of the surviving plaster at the southern end of wall F.225. It is unclear if it would have been possible to 're-mount' paintings on other walls or if they were removed simply to be destroyed. 

Space 156

Wall F.227. 

The one event which can be assigned to this phase is a horizontal area of walling (3239)/(3240) lying in the western part of the space which appears to represent the partial collapse of wall F.227. The collapse of (3239)/(3240) appears to be accidental although the possibility that it represents a deliberate act can not be ruled out. 

Space 157

Bins F.232/F.233/F.234/F.235/F.236. 

Space 157 contained five bins, F.232-F.236, along its southern and western walls. All of these were entirely demolished to c.02 to 0.3m above floor level. The material created by the demolition of the bin walls was used to partially back-fill the bins - 
F.232 (3248), (3292) and (3802). 
F.233 (3249) and (3293). 
F.234 (3250), (3294), (3299) and (3800). 
F.235 (3251), (3295) and (3855). 
F.236 (3287). 

Indeed the walls of the bins seem to have been demolished until the material this created filled the inside of the surviving height of the bin. Prior to this demolition the bins appear to have been systematically cleaned of whatever they contained and possibly even scoured. 

General

The abandonment of Building 5 has the appearance of a controlled and thorough process. A number of features, principally wooden posts, were removed for later re-use whilst the demolition of others is explicable in terms of ensuring a firm foundation for the infilling and subsequently Building 1. 

Removal for re-use 

F.240, F.241, F.244, F.358, [3289], [3291], [3867]. 

Demolition to ensure a firm foundation for the infilling and subsequently Building 1 

F.232, F.233, F.234, F.235, F.236, F.242. 

It would, however, have been equally possible to infill this second group of features and leave them standing, as is known to have happened elsewhere at Çatalhöyük . Their demolition must therefore represent a conscious decision in favour of destruction. There are also a number of features, most notably the pillars F.351 and F.354, which do not seem to have contained re-useable elements and would have provided a perfectly acceptable foundation for the subsequent building. The destruction of these is not apparently explicable in purely practical reasons and may have been of a symbolic/ritual nature. It is also possible that the removal of posts for re-use also had a symbolic/ritual element. 

Living on deeply stratified archaeological sites presents certain problems for their occupants. In particular earlier features, such as pits or even whole buildings, can lead to later subsidence problems. The inhabitants of Çatalhöyük dealt with this problem by a combination of careful demolition and controlled infilling. It is clear that they fully understood the architectural difficulties of building on a Tell site and coped with them much better than the occupants of comparable Roman and Medieval sites in Britain. What we are viewing in the archaeological record during the abandonment and infilling phases of the later structures at Çatalhöyük is the existence of a substantial communal body of knowledge that the sites inhabitants had acquired, perhaps through a painful process of trial and error, through time concerning how to live on a Tell site. This meant that rubbish was not generally deposited in empty buildings or in pits within structures because when the organic components rotted down it could have led to subsidence problems, instead rubbish was deposited in external midden areas. 

Final Occupation Phase of Building 5 - [Phase B5.B].

Despite the various destructive events associated with the abandonment of Building 5 the final phase of occupation was well preserved [Figure 17]. 

Space 154

Space 154 appears to have been divided into four main areas which were delineated by the presence of wall features, differences in the height of the floor and ridges in the floor. 

South-East Quadrant. 

The building was entered via ladder F.244 in the south east corner against wall F.224 which descended from west to east. This led into the south-east quadrant of space 154 which was c.2.5m west-east by 1.7m north-south. As discussed previously this was probably a relatively substantial feature. It appears that at the bottom of the ladder there may have been a delimited and slightly raised area c.0.8 by 0.8m in the corner of the space which was effectively a base area onto which one stepped when one descended the ladder. This quadrant also contained a large domed oven F.242 which was partially built into a niche F.246 in the southern wall F.244. This oven lay directly beneath ladder F.244 and there was probably a single hole in the roof which allowed both smoke to escape and access to the building. This is of course the classic ladder/oven arrangement at Çatalhöyük (Mellaart 1967, 56). In general the floor surfaces in this quadrant appear to have been rather 'dirty' with ashy oven rake-out and small fragments of obsidian visible. The other feature of the south east quadrant was a 'niche' F.247 running through wall F.229 which would have allowed objects to be passed through to space 155. The edges of the south east quadrant were defined by a step up to the west and a raised ridge and bench to the north plus a large protruding plastered post F.241 against wall F.229. 

South-West Quadrant. 

The south-west quadrant consists of a raised platform F.239 c.1.5m west-east by 1.8m north-south. It is delimited by a step down to both the northern and eastern sides and a protruding plastered post F.240 against wall F.230. The platform was probably covered by a white plaster floor which does not survive. On the south wall were a plastered post F.358 and a niche F.245 both of which were probably residual features during this phase but were still visible. There also appears to have been a post [3867] in the south-west corner. Platform F.239 provided a raised area through which access was provided to spaces 157 and 156. It is unclear what functions or activities took place here. Two pieces of obsidian [3842 X.1 and 3842 X.3] and an unusual squashed clay ball [3842 X.2] were lying on the uppermost surface of the platform (3873) and may relate to final occupation phase activities. 

North-West Quadrant. 

The north-west quadrant consists of a white plaster surface (3844) with multiple re-plasterings delimited by a plastered post F.240 against wall F.230 plus a step up to the south and a step down to the east. It was c.2.5m north-south by 1.2m west-east and was surrounded on its northern and western sides by a raised ledge F.243. There may possibly have been a niche in the north-west corner. The plaster floor sloped gently downwards from north to south. A piece of obsidian [3261 X.1] was lying on the latest surface and another piece [3870 X.1] was lying on an earlier surface 

North-East Quadrant. 

The north-east quadrant was delimited by a step up to the west and a ridge plus a protruding plastered post F.241 to the south. It was c. 2.5m north-south by 1.9m west-east and was probably consisted of a white plaster surface which no longer survives except for indications where the floor meets ledge F.243. The uppermost surviving layer (3845) is a greasy-clayey surface which represents an activity horizon after the white plaster had been eroded away. It was surrounded on its northern and eastern sides by a raised ledge F.243. In the north-east corner there was a doorway which provided access to space 155, a stone axe [3285 X.1] was lying on the latest surface in this doorway. The makeup for this surface contained a sherd of pottery [3845 X.1]. 

Space 155

Space 155 [Figure 18 and Figure 19] was entered through a doorway in the north-east corner of space 154. Space 155 appears to have been sub-divided into two main areas, a northern part [c.40% of the space] and a southern area [c.60% of the space]. Access was via the northern part of the space. The floor (3845) in the northern part of the space is in fact a direct continuation of the same surface in the north-east quadrant of space 154. At the northern end of the space was a plastered bench F.350 c.0.9m long by 0.4m wide which was raised c.0.5m higher than the floor beside it. The exact function of F.350 is unclear, it could have been for sitting on or for storage. Beside this was a plastered mud-brick pillar F.351. The stripping of the upper part of the plaster on wall F.225 during the abandonment phase suggests that this may have been painted. 

Turning southwards the other part of space 155 was separated by a narrow internal partition wall F.352 and a pillar or post-pad F.353. This division shows signs of several re-modellings but during this phase access was apparently via a gap to the east of pillar F.353. Moving into the southern area involved a step down of c.0.05m onto a distinctive reddish surface (3898). Directly ahead as one passed through the gap in F.352 was a pillar F.354. To the south of this were a pair of low plastered basins F.355 and F.356. Working at these basins probably involved kneeling on the southern side of the feature. To do this one would have to walk down the western side of the space. Feature F.357 of unknown function, which protrudes from the eastern wall F.225 at the southern end of the space means that the space narrows to c.0.8m wide. F.357 probably implies that basin F.355 was no longer functional and only F.356 was in use. The original function of these 'basins' is unclear, whilst it is possible that they contained liquid, as widely used term the 'basin' implies, it is perhaps more probable that they were used as bases for grinding activities . On the western side there was a plastered niche F.247 which allowed access to space 154. Whilst it would have been physically possible for individuals to crawl through this niche it is more likely that it was used for passing objects through. Niche F.247 means that an individual working at basin F.356 would have been able to observe the south-west part of space 154, particularly platform F.239, and parts of space 157. The stripping of the upper part of the plaster on wall F.224 and parts of walls F.225 and F.229 during the abandonment phase suggests that this may have been painted. This receives some slight confirmation from the presence of a single red painted quatrefoil near the top of the surviving plaster at the southern end of wall F.225. A flint scraper [3808 X.1] and two pieces of obsidian [3819 X.1, 3819 X.2] were lying on the last surface which also had traces of an intermittent grey ashy deposit. 

Space 156

Space 156 was separated from the rest of the building by blocking F.249 which connected walls F.231 and F.230. This blocking consisted of well built courses of brick (3881) and mortar (3882) [composite number (3863)] and survived to a height of c.0.6m. This blocking sealed the latest floor in space 156 (3253) but does not indicate the abandonment of space 156 as activity still continued in this area which is represented by a dark brown clayey accumulation deposit (3228)/(3241)/(3242)/(3243). This is confirmed by the presence of plaster (3861) on the northern side of the blocking which is of similar thickness and extent to the plaster on the southern side (3862). Underpinning (3298) sealed a thin white plaster floor which did not survive elsewhere in space 156, this indicates further occupation of the room which resulted in the removal of this floor. As there is only one subsequent floor layer in space 156 later than blocking F.249 this strongly implies that space 156 carried on in use until the general abandonment of Building 5. 

To the north of blocking F.249 there was a packing deposit (3880) this packing extended westwards as (3810) along the northern side of wall F.231 and there was a similar packing deposit along the eastern side of the southern part of wall F.227 (3296)/(3298). There was also a similar packing deposit against the northern wall F.226 (3276)/(3283). All of these packing deposits are broadly c.0.1 to 0.25m wide at the base forming triangular wedges against the walls, they seem to represent some form of attempt to reinforce or underpin some of the walls of space 156. Why this was necessary is unclear but the later collapse of part of wall F.227 (3239)/(3240) indicates some instability in space 156. These wall reinforcing deposits are interesting for a number of reasons. Their placement in the south-west and north-east corners of space 156 would have produced a perceptible alteration in the alignment of the space with regard to the rest of the building although it is not clear if this was a deliberate intention. (3276) was largely composed of material derived from a fire installation, possibly from space 154 which may allow us to link the phasing of these two spaces, with a sheep horn core placed in it [3276 X1]. Additionally a bone [3810 X.8], a stone [3810 X.9] and some burnt clay [3810 X.10] were sealed between (3810) and wall F.231. Other discoveries in the centre of the room lying on floor (3253) included spirally coiled mat impressions [3242 S.5, 3228 S.5/X.2, 3253 S.3], a bone ring [3242 X.1], bone [3242 X.2], clay ball [3228 X.1], stones [3241 X1,3243 X.1, 3243 X.2] and some pebbles [3243 X.3]. 

Space 157

During the final occupation phase of occupation space 157 was separated from space 156 by blocking F.249 although access was still apparently possible. Bins F.232, F.233, F.235 and F.236 were in use but bin F.237 was no longer active. The status of bin F.234 is unclear as it was entirely surrounded by other bins but it is possible that it was still in use. The bins all appear to have been emptied and cleaned prior to abandonment and there is no direct evidence concerning their original contents. It is likely that they were used for the storage of foodstuffs and it is possible that individual bins had different contents. The bins at Çatalhöyük were filled from above and emptied through a hole in the bottom at floor level (Mellaart 1967, 62), the tops of the bins do not survive in space 157 but a well preserved carefully moulded hole and spout was present on bin F.235. This concentration of bins appears to be atypical and no close parallels for such a large number in a single small space are known from other buildings. In-situ discoveries perhaps associated with the final phase of occupation were circular mat impressions [3234 S.1] on the side of bin F.235 and [3297 S.1] on floor (3858). There was also a rather different fragment of matting [3860 S.1] [Figure 16] which may be part of a larger floor covering such as a rush carpet. 

Earlier Phases of Building 5 - [Phase B5.C].

Only a very limited amount of excavation was possible on the earlier phases of Building 5 and the following remarks are highly tentative. Most of what follows is based purely upon visual examination of the upstanding features and sections produced by later cuts, it must be emphasised that it should be treated with caution. In particular it is at present impossible to link phases between different spaces or even between spatially discrete features within an individual space. 

Space 154

Under oven F.242 there is an earlier oven in the same location. This earlier oven is larger and fills the entire space provided by niche F.246. Under this there is a series of deposits revealed in the side of cut [3291] which were partially excavated - (3875)/(3884)/(3885)/(3886)/3887)/(3888)/(3889). These suggest the presence of at least one and probably two earlier fire installations in the same location as F.242. They also indicate that they may have been smaller and that the fire installation zone of space 154 as delimited by ridges in the floor may have been smaller. There are a lower number of layers of wall plaster on niche F.146 than on the rest of wall F.224 perhaps indicating that the niche is a later modification which possibly only relates to the latest two phases of the fire installation. The evidence suggests that the fire installation within space 154 remains in the same area throughout the life-span of the building and becomes more complex throughout time. The ladder F.244 also seems to stay in the same place. The deposits in the south-east corner of space 154 revealed in the other side of pit [3291] and in two truncated 'bench' features against wall F.229 indicate a complex sequence with a large number of layers. In general these deposits all seem to indicate that the south-east corner was a zone delineated by ridges and 'benches' which provided a space at the base of ladder F.244 for access to the building and also allowed access to niche F.247. 

As discussed earlier post F.358 is not integral to the original construction of building 5, it does however appear to have been present through a number of phases. It probably operated in conjunction with niche F.245. This is a very shallow recess and it seems that it and post F.358 may have in fact been 'residual' features during the latest phases of building 5 with niche F.245 gradually becoming less and less pronounced. It is likely that in some earlier phase niche F.245 and post F.358 formed a much more distinct feature. 

Platform F.239 demonstrates a complex history with a large number of phases. This was partially excavated around cut [3867] - (3873)/ (3876)/ (3877)/ (3878)/ (3879)/ (3891)/ (3892)/ (3893)/ (3894)/ (3895)/ (4001)/ (4002)/ (4003)/ 4008)/ (4009)/ (4010)/ (4015)/ (4016)/ (4017)/ (4021)/ (4022)/ [4024]/ (4025). These indicate that platform F.239 increased in height by at c.016m during the life-span of building 5 and probably became a more and more prominent feature over time. It seems to have consisted of a series of makeup layers and white plaster floors with distinct 'dirty' occupation deposits in them. The only indication so far of a break in this sequence is a cut [4024] with fill (4022) which occurs between floors (4025) and (4021). This is a relatively early event in the sequence on platform F.239, its extent and function are unknown. 

In contrast to platform F.239 there is another platform in the north-west corner of the room. In the final phase it is simply a slightly raised area but removal of part of layers (3844)/(3870)/(3872) show that in earlier phases it was a more pronounced and distinct feature but that through time it was not built up, and indeed appears to have been deliberately partially slighted, until it was only slightly higher that the floor level between it and platform F.239. The floor space between these two platforms shows a sequence of white plaster floors with one phase of the floor being painted red. The pattern of the south-west platform becoming a more pronounced feature over time and the north-west platform becoming less pronounced is interesting. This is the opposite of what happened subsequently occurred in Building 1 where the north-western platform F.13 is a more pronounced and long lived feature than the south-western platform F.32. It is impossible to determine the significance of this pattern at this stage, one intriguing possibility is that as the north-west platform is a favoured burial location and the south-west one is not the relative prominence of these platforms in different buildings relates to the number of burials which occurred within a building. Whilst Building 1 contained a large number of burials there are so far no indications of any burials visible in the sides of the cut features in Building 5. 

The cuts in the north-east quadrant of space 154 reveal a sequence of layers which are all generally similar in nature indicating a succession of floors with no major alterations. 

On the northern side of space 154 the original wall F.226 was superseded by a later wall F.228 directly to the south of it and on a slightly different alignment. The reason for the insertion of wall F.228 which covered almost 10% of the internal area of space 154 is unclear, there is no obvious structural reason why wall F.226 should require replacement as it appears to be in as good condition as the rest of the walls of building 5. Similar walls have been noted before at the site and it has been suggested that they are due either to burning events or thick and irregular plaster rendering walls unsuitable for continued use (Matthews & Farid 1996, 294). Neither of these explanations appears appropriate in this instance. One possibility is that the wall was inserted to create a large niche in the north-west corner of space 154, although this is problematical as the evidence for this will have been largely removed by the later pit F.223, and possibly in the north-east corner as well. Judging by the thickness of the plaster on walls F.226 and F.228 in comparison with those on walls F.224, F.229 and F.230 the insertion of wall F.228 appears to have occurred approximately half way through the life-span of Building 5. At the same time as the insertion of wall F.228 a narrow ledge F.243 was constructed running around the northern side of space 154 against walls F.230, F.228 and F.229. Subsequently a small buttress F.248 was built on top of ledge F.243 against wall F.230. 

The general impression of space 154 1s of a complex life history with numerous phases. The evidence so far revealed points to gradual incremental change with the overall nature of the space and the location of major features remaining unchanged. The exception to this is the major change when wall F.228 and ledge F.243 were added. It is conceivable that this major alteration coincides with the major change to the oven area and the possible construction of niche F.246. It may also coincide with niche F.245 going out of use. This major change may be contemporary with changes in other spaces such as 155. 

Space 155

The pillar/post-base F.353 is a late addition to the internal partition wall F.352 and probably only existed during the last occupation phase. Prior to this were was probably a wider access gap through the entire central area of F.352. 

Basin F.356 is a later addition to basin F.355 which is in turn later than pillar F.354. The addition of basin F.356 appears to have been accompanied by the deliberate deposition of a large obsidian projectile point [4014 X.1] immediately to the north of the basin. One theory which still requires testing by excavation is that the addition of basin F.356 is contemporary with the insertion of the enigmatic feature F.357. It seems probable that whatever activity was conducted at basins F.355/F.356 was undertaken by an individual in a kneeling position to the south of them. The insertion of F.357 would therefore have severely compromised access to basin F.355. It is also possible that the additions of F.356 and F.357 are contemporary with the addition of F.353. Pillar F.354 also seems to be a secondary addition which is not integral to the construction of Building 5. 

A number of deposits were partially excavated between partition F.352 and basins F.355/F.356 - (3898)/(3899)/(4000)/(4004)/(4011)/(4012)/(4013)/(4014). These deposits were generally quite patchy and poorly defined. They generally appeared to be relatively 'dirty' with (4014) in particular containing large pieces of obsidian [4014.X1, 4014.X3], pottery [4014.X2] and bone [4014.X4]. 

There are slight hints that bench F.350 and pillar F.351 may not be original features and could be later additions. Given their similar widths and positions it is conceivable that they were added at the same time as wall F.228 in space 154. 

Space 156

Evidence from space 157 shows that blocking F.249 is a late addition which probably only exists for one phase. The 'reinforcement' deposits against the walls of space 156 (3296)/(3298) against F.227, (3810) against F.231 and (3276)/(3283) against F.226 are all late additions and apparently contemporary with blocking F.249. (3298) sealed an obsidian point [3298 X1] lying on floor (3253) beneath and a large number of small rodent bones were also lying on the floor next to wall F.227 [3298.S3 and S5]. Similarly (3810) sealed a large number of objects lying on floor (3253) including a number of bones [3810.X1, X2, X6, X7], a complete clay ball [3810.X3], an obsidian flake [3810.X4] and a stone [3810 X5]. This concentration of material around the southern end eastern sides of space 156 is atypical. It could be argued that the underpinning deposits (3298) and (3810) had simply sealed material that was already lying on floor (3253). This would imply that this floor was particularly 'dirty', that the objects sealed were of no interest which is unlikely for 3810.X3 and 3298.X1 and that the builders did not care what sort of surface they placed their underpinning upon. It appears more likely that these objects were deliberately placed beneath the underpinning for some reason, this seems particularly true the clay ball 3810. X.3 which appears to have been placed between the horns of a sheep horn core 3810 X.2 [see Russell and Martin this volume]. 

Space 157

There only appears to be one floor level subsequent to the insertion of blocking F.249 which is therefore a late event. The renders and plasters on the bins in space 157 allowed the excavator to phase them into four groups. Whilst this is a probably a simplification of the original reality it does provide a relative chronology. It generally indicates an increase in the amount of storage space provided by the bins in space 157 through time until eventually there is no practical way to increase storage space in this area any more. 

Primary - Bins F.232, F.234 and F.237 in the corners of the room. 

Secondary - Addition of bin F.235 between bins F.234 and F.237. This impinged upon bin F.237 and it is not clear if this bin continued in use. 

Tertiary - Addition of bin F.233 between bins F.234 and F.232. It is unclear how access was maintained to bin F.234 and it is possible that this bin went out of use. Addition of bin F.236 in front of F.237, bin F.237 probably out of use at this stage. 

Quaternary - re-modelling of spout of bin F.235. 

Wall Plaster

The wall plasters in Building 5 varied considerably between the different spaces. In the central space 154 there appear to be approximately seventy major re-plastering events which are separated by sequences of between three and nine thin washes of plaster with sooting between [see Matthews this volume]. Visual variations were discernible in a number of locations. In particular fewer layers were present directly above oven F.242 and more sooting was present in this area. It appears that away from the oven more sooting is present throughout the first half of the plaster sequence than in the second half which may relate to a change in the form of fire installation [see above]. A number of minor irregularities such as bends in the alignment of the plaster may relate to features from earlier phases of the building which were no longer visible by the final phase. There is also evidence of localised repairs and truncations within the plaster sequences. On the northern side of the space where wall F.228 had replaced wall F.226 this could be clearly observed in the thickness of the wall plaster in comparison to the other three sides of the space. The wall plaster in the three outer spaces 155, 156 and 157 is much thinner indicating far fewer coats. In space 156 the wall plaster has largely disappeared through some form of erosional process and only survives in a few places where it has been protected. A similar process appears to have occurred in the northern part of space 155, in the southern part of this space the upper areas of wall plaster had been deliberately removed. In space 157 the wall plaster has pronounced horizontal rippled ridges, these appear to be deliberate and may relate to the bins in this space. Such rippling is also apparent in space 154, although it is far less pronounced, and has been observed elsewhere on the site. It appears clear that such rippling is not a form of post-occupational slumping and in the majority of instances it is not related to the underlying courses of bricks and mortar. Given that a great deal of care was taken initially to create a smooth wall surface it appears that the rippling of the wall plaster was deliberate and may be a form of subtle decoration or functional/spatial differentiation. The hypothesis that walls were replaced annually, whilst open to question, suggests that Building 5 was occupied for at least seventy years which is plausible given what else we know of the structure at present. 

Discussion

The primary aim of the 1998 season which was to expose the building beneath Building 1 was successfully achieved and Building 5, a complete and well preserved structure was revealed. The fieldwork schedule means that it is unlikely that Building 5 will be excavated in the immediate future and it is proposed that a shelter is erected over the building and it is put on display to the public. Building 5 exists as a compact rectangular structure apparently planned and built with an aesthetically pleasing symmetry in the main central space around an axis between the south-west and north-east corners of space 154. Although the evidence suggests that the building was occupied for a considerable period, with a number of phases of modification, in general it seems to present a picture of steady incremental change with only one major period of dislocation when wall F.228 was inserted and a number of other changes may have occurred. Spaces and areas within spaces also seem to exhibit a strong degree of functional stability, for example a series of fire installations were located in the same position on the south side of space 154 and there was a long history of bins in space 154. Change in Building 5 seems to have been a very organic and incremental process. Although the doorway between spaces 156 and 157 was blocked at a late stage space 156 still continued in use and there is no evidence, in sharp contrast to Building 1 above, that any individual part of Building 5 was abandoned prior to the abandonment of the whole structure. 

There appears to be a strong north south division of the building running along a west-east axis through wall F.231, post retrieval pit F.240, post retrieval pit F.241 and pillar F.354. This division is emphasised by a number of other features such as ledge F.243 which only occurs to the north of it, a pronounced ridge in space 154 and the location of basins F.355 and F.356. Indeed a major function of pillar F.354 and ledge F.243, which are later additions, may have been to emphasise this division. It is possible to view this as a division between a 'dirty' southern half associated with food preparation and 

a 'clean' northern half. The bins in space 157 and the series of ovens in space 154 are in the southern half, as are the basins in space 156 which may have been used in food preparation. Niche F.247 which connects spaces 154 and 155 through wall F.229 would have enabled food to have been prepared without it entering the 'clean' northern half of the room. 

The layout of Building 5 appears to have been designed to limit access and visibility within the house. An individual entering via ladder F.244 facing eastwards would have seen very little as their view was largely impeded by wall F.230. Once they reached the base of the ladder all of space 154 would have been visible, spaces 155 and 156 would have been entirely concealed and only part of space 157 would have been visible. Access to space 155 would have necessitated going northwards around wall F.229 whereas access to space 156 would have involved crossing spaces 154 and 157. This layout seems to have maximised the amount of travel within Building 5 involved in entering certain spaces and minimised the amount to which they were visible upon initially entering the building. 

The 1998 season in the North Area produced a number of methodological challenges concerning the vertical and horizontal division of the area. There is clearly a major distinction between Building 5 and Building 1 with one replacing the other. However, the archaeological deposits indicate a seamless continuity between the two with no obvious point of demarcation. This was to an extent overcome by introducing a phase B5/B1 which largely avoids the issue. It seems impossible to tell if the infilling deposits that constitute phase B5/B1 represent the end of Building 5, the start of Building 1 or some combination of the two. Similarly whilst Building 5 was divided into four spaces; 154, 155, 156 and 157, on the basis of the internal walls this is rather misleading. There is evidence internal divisions within spaces, particularly in space 154, which appear to be at least as significant, if not more significant, than the divisions created by walls. Equally there is evidence for continuity between spaces such as unit (3845) which links spaces 154 and 155 and unit (3253) which links spaces 156 and 157 suggesting that we should not think of walls as absolute boundaries. These all indicate that the recording system in use with its hierarchy of unit, space, building is inadequate for reflecting the reality of the complex archaeology of the site. 

In general terms Building 5 is very similar to the later Building 1 which occupied the same location. In particular the western end with walls F.230 below F.3 and F.231 in a similar position to F.15 is closely comparable. The eastern end is less similar as wall F.229 has no direct parallel's in Building 1, however, the overall building layouts do have a similar tripartite spatial division with western and eastern areas around a larger central space. The locations of some individual features such as platforms, fire installations and ladders are also similar. We do not, however, as yet have a large enough sample of buildings from the North Area to determine if these similarities demonstrate a special affinity between Building 5 and Building 1, perhaps because they were occupied by the same kinship group, or whether this is simply coincidental and merely represents the degree of similarity to be reasonably expected between two building occupying a similar space. 

At present it is unclear how Building 5 relates to the general building phases identified by Mellaart, especially as the radiocarbon dates from Building 1 are somewhat at odds with the phasing based on artefacts [see above]. At least provisionally we can suggest on the basis of the few artefacts recovered, such as the pottery, that Building 5 may belong approximately to phases VII or VIII. 

Note on North Area Phasing.

The phasing of the North Area continued on from the model developed in 1997 (Lucas 1997b) where Building 1 was divided into eight phases [B1.1 to B1.8]. In 1998 a number of new phases were added: 

B1.E - deposits external to Building 1. 
B5/B1 - infilling deposits between Building 5 and Building 1. 
B5.A - the abandonment/demolition of Building 5/ 
B5.B - the final occupation phase of Building 5. 
B5.C - all deposits in Building 5 prior to phase B5.B. 

References

Lucas, G M (1997a). The excavation of Building 1, North Area. In 1997 Archive Report. 

Lucas, G M (1997b). Summary of the New Phasing for Building 1 , North Area. In 1997 Archive Report. 

Matthews, W, & S Farid (1996). Exploring the 1960s' Surface: the Stratigraphy of Çatalhöyük . In Hodder, I (ed.) On the Surface: Çatalhöyük 1993-95. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara. 271-300. 

Mellaart, J (1967). Catal Huyuk. A Neolithic Town in Anatolia. London: Thames & Hudson.

Figure 13 General plan of Building 5.

Figure 14 General plan of Building 5 showing wall elevations.

Figure 15 Fish hook 3047.F`1.

Figure 16 Phytolith impression 3860.S1 

Figure 17 Reconstruction drawing of the final occupation phase of Building 5

Figure 18 Reconstruction of final occupation phase of space 155

Figure 19 Alternative Reconstruction of final occupation phase of space 155

 

 


© Çatalhöyük Research Project and individual authors, 1998