ÇATALHÖYÜK 1995 ARCHIVE REPORT

Conclusion

Ian Hodder

1. On the northern eminence of the east mound, a total area of 1900 sq m has now been scraped to reveal a continuous pattern of Neolithic buildings. The continuation of the street identified in earlier seasons could not be followed to the summit of the northern eminence because of classical disturbance.

2. The initial excavation of Building 1 on the northern eminence has allowed the development of conservation strategies to be used in the future (see 19 below) and the development of sampling strategies for micro-remains and organic and inorganic residues (see 9 below).

3. Building 1 contains a number of features which indicate a 'shrine-like' character, thus indicating that elaborate buildings are not confined to the southwestern part of the site. However, several of these features are unlike those found by Mellaart. For example, the 'box' around the wall relief in space 71 has no parallel in the 1960s excavations, neither does the sub-room in the eastern part of space 71, nor the thin- and high-walled oven in space 70. Indeed, the plan of Building 1 as a whole has no exact parallel in the southwestern part of the site, the area excavated by Mellaart. Although bucrania have been identified in both areas of the site, a future research direction is to explore the different spatial, social and ritual arrangements on the two main eminences.

4. Building 1 and occupation on the northern eminence can be dated relative to the 1960s sequence to between Levels V and VI, on both ceramic and lithic typological grounds.

5. Space (room) 70 in Building 1 had initially consisted of a rectangular room containing a platform, oven and plastered wooden bin. Few artifacts and concentrations of seeds were found on the floor which had been heavily burnt in parts. In phase 2 the space was divided into two by a wall or bench containing a cattle horn. An antler feature may also have been attached to the wall. At a late phase in the use of the room, the oven was rebuilt. The evidence for a long sequence of use, perhaps including 'squatting', is of interest.

6. Space 71 contained several layers of red-painted plaster on its western face, a platform with a high density of fish bones on its surface, and a plaster relief surrounded by a plaster 'box' containing the jaw of an aurochs. The southern part of this room was again heavily burnt on abandonment.

7. In the Mellaart area, 'doors' and crawlholes had been blocked. This blocking was often not seen by Mellaart because he did not systematically remove plaster from the walls. The presence of a 'door' between houses 2 and 12 suggests that roof entry may have not been the only form of access, at least in some houses. The blocking of entrances may have been a constructional feature, or it may have been associated with the change in use of buildings from domestic to (ancestral) ritual (see11 below).

8. It has become clear in the Mellaart area that the rebuilding of walls occurred in a gradual way, with only the upper parts of the walls repaired. Thus the floor of, say, a Level VIII room might be several metres below its corresponding wall. A wall might thus have overhangs as a result of inaccurate alignment later on earlier walls, with the join plastered over.

9. Very detailed sampling, especially of deposits near floors has provided a basis for analysis so that the potential for future sampling (especially for organic and inorganic residues) can be determined.

10. The finding of thick layers of dung within the settlement indicates that animals were kept within the settlement. Dung from within buildings, including on otherwise clean floors in 'shrines', indicates that at least young animals were brought into buildings.

11. In at least one building identifed in section there is clear indication of a change of use. On the earlier floors there is a wide range of domestic activities. After cutting a burial through these earlier floors, the building is used for a narrower range of activities and there is evidence for 'ritual' features. The idea will be explored in future seasons that at least some buildings go through a cycle of use from domestic to ancestral shrine. Buildings may then often be burnt (perhaps as a form of ritual cleansing), and intentionally filled in before construction and reuse begins. The differences beween 'shrine' and 'non-shrine' on the site may be as much temporal as spatial.

12. Sherds from the 'midden' excavated in Courtyard 15 were smaller and more abraded than those in Building 1. But bone from 'midden' deposits is larger than in other deposits. This implies that the 'midden' investigated so far may have material both from domestic sweeping (ash and small sherds etc) and intentional bone discard.

13. The primary preparation of raw material for knapped stone occurred before the material reached the site. The industry had a high component of non-formal tools in addition to the better-known points, mirrors etc which show such specialised skill.

14. Clear differences between deposits with high proportions of large animals (bos and equid) and with high proportions of ovicaprids could be identified, indicating separate processing/disposal.

15. A very wide range of plant resources was in use. The significant presence of pea, lentil and tubers correlates with initial results from tooth-wear studies which indicate a heavy reliance on non-cereal plants.

16. So far we have encountered no evidence for the existence of large-scale public buildings. The site as a whole appears to consist of two main elements: houses, with varying degrees of elaboration of interior features, and open spaces, generally covered by spreads of rubbish. This simple settlement constitution, and the evidence for crop processing, animal tending and obsidian processing interspersed amongst houses, all supports an interpretation of the site as an elaborate village rather than as an urban settlement with differentiated functions.

17. The second season of excavations at Pinarbasi has allowed parallels and contrasts to be drawn with Çatalhöyük, at least with regard to the 6th millennium BC. The different architecture in a rock shelter context is perhaps unremarkable, but the lack of pottery, apparent scarcity of cereals, lack of ground stone, and distinctive faunal assemblage all indicate the potential for identifying differences between sites in the use of this landscape.

18. The regional survey has identified a wide range of sites of different dates on the Çarsamba Fan. In collaboration with the geomorphological survey it is clear that the gradual spread of the fan can be mapped. In addition, an important find has been that sites completely buried by alluvium can be identified by studying dyke sections. Research into GIS analysis of satellite images is being continued in order to evaluate the potential for identifying buried sites.

19. A range of conservation techniques for wall plasters and paintings were experimented with on site and in the on-site laboratory. These have begun to identify the characteristics of the clays used in the plasters and to explore ways of consolidating and lifting painted plasters. Samples have been taken to the University of Pennsylvania and are currently being analysed by three researchers under the direction of Dr Frank Matero. These researchers are also building simulated walls and plasters in order to experiment with consolidation and lifting procedures.