ÇATALHÖYÜK 1997 ARCHIVE REPORT

The Excavation of Building 1, North Area

G.M. Lucas

Introduction

The 1997 season of excavation in the North Area was aimed primarily at the completion of Building 1, a task frustrated in the previous year by the quantity of burials within the building. The time consuming nature of excavating such burials was felt again this year when further interments emerged, to such an extent that skeletons were still being lifted within weeks of the end of the season. However, satisfactory progress was made otherwise insofar as the whole of Building 1 was completed, including the construction phase. Moreover, the top of the next building below was exposed in sufficient detail to enable a strategy of excavation for the forthcoming season to be outlined.

The methodological issues surrounding the excavation process which were such a prominent feature of the previous season, were very much in the background this year with the result that the work appeared to proceed at a much more 'untroubled' pace. Apart from a change in the litreage of flotation samples (reduced from 40 to 30 litres), the sampling and recording procedures employed were much as they were after the resolutions made from last year. Another part of the 'smoothness' of progress this year is however due to the relative simplicity of the archaeology compared with last season - features consisted on the whole of discrete burials or large deposits.

Certainly work conducted this season has had ramifications for the archaeology of the previous seasons and in particular for the interpretation of the phasing of Building 1. The place for that however is in the full excavation report for Building 1. Here, attention will focus only on those features excavated this season which in general fell into two phases:

The Completion of Building 1 - Phase I

Several features associated with the use of Building 1 remained to be completed from 1996 beyond the human burials; these are discussed below in turn.

Platforms and ledge

Northwest Platform, Space 71 (F.13) - Although much of the upper surface of this platform had been excavated in 1996, remnants of the lower surfaces remained ([1487], [1488], [1490]). Most work however focused on the vertical faces/edges which preserved the best record of the various modifications to this platform ([2102], [2156-2159], [2163-2164]). Five major phases/groups of replasterings were identified for the whole platform, although essentially the process can be summed up by a successive enlarging of the platform (from c. 1.4m2 to 1.6m2) through phases I and II, reverting back to its original size in phase III. The remaining burials excavated within platform F.13 this season are dealt with separately below.

Central Eastern Platform, Space 71 (later Space 110) (F.37) - Unlike the last, this platform changed little in form except for the large number of successive refloorings. This year saw the removal of the last floor and packing layers ([1994], [2143]) and the discovery that the two walls bounding it (F.8 and F.10; see below under construction) had posts at their terminals. The northern one ([2153-2155]) appears to have been replaced at least once, while the southern one ([2142], [2193]) had been deliberately removed and a votive deposit of a polished axe with carbonised barley seeds and other charred remains placed in the cavity. This appears to have occurred at the end of Phase II, just prior to the Phase III remodelling of the platform into a small room (Space 110). As above, the remaining burials associated with this platform are dealt with separately below.

Narrow Ledge, Space 71 (F.46) - a narrow ledge or step running along the north wall of Space 71 between platform F.13 and Space 111 was excavated and revealed two phases of construction. The primary phase shows it as a planned, original feature of the building ([2120], [1996]), later rebuilt with mudbricks and replastered ([1997], [1999]), probably to compensate for the rising floor levels through successive build up of refloorings in Space 71.

Wall Reliefs & Plaster

Central Wall Relief, Space 71 (F.25/F.48) - Remnants of a wall relief on the east face of partition wall F.3, mostly destroyed when the late pit F.17 was dug in phase IV. A measured elevation and an artistic sketch recorded this enigmatic feature whose original form still escapes plausible reconstruction. However, careful excavation showed it to have been built primarily with a core of mudbrick-type material before a plaster finish, although in places a plaster mix was the sole matrix ([2172]). The relief was framed by a plaster panel of raised vertical strips and started very low on the wall (possibly even below floor level).

Opposed Wall Reliefs, Space 71 (F.24 & F.26) - Two 'architectural' wall reliefs/pilasters were positioned on opposite north and south walls in Space 71, slightly misaligned. Excavation revealed that both had two phases of construction, of quite different form. The primary phase of both ([2131], [2140]) seemed to consist of a plastered timber post setting which was later remodelled into a solid plaster relief which had a projecting upper portion ([2130], [2135]). Within the matrix of the primary phase of the northern relief was a miniature model cattle horn.

Paintwork over Northwestern Platform F.13 ([2516]) - although exposed in 1995, the painted plaster on the east face of wall F.3 over the northwestern platform F.13 was only investigated at the end of the 1997 season. This was due mainly to the fact that the platform itself and the large number of burials it contained, took all our time and attention. It was only when the plaster was carefully peeled off that the presence of actual artwork was identified; until then, it had been presumed that it was simply a red painted panel/frieze. Painstakingly slow work revealed between 18 and 22 replasterings (or 36 to 44 layers, including preparation), of which at least 10 showed evidence of paintwork. 9 of these occurred in the earlier phase of the plasterings (although the first few were unpainted), while one occurred as the final layer. For about half, the painted layers were impossible to trace across any significant area of the wall; however in five, larger patterns were discernible:

- the last layer was a continuous red all-over

- layer 11 was a red kilim type/ladder design

- layer 10 was a red ladder design

- layer 7 was the most dramatic, a red and black complex geometric design

- layer 6 was a simpler panel of red and white rectangles

The paintwork on the north wall F.5 over platform F.13 was much less spectacular and well-preserved ([2127]); only 2-3 layers of painted plaster were identified amongst multiple plain white layers and of the painted layers, little design could be observed save some red geometric triangles, Both red and black paint was used as for the west wall. The painted layers along this north wall only extended as far as the wall relief F.26 and no further.

General Plasterwork - As well as the painted plaster over the platform, all the walls were stripped of their plaster which continued as far down as floor level and no further. Cores were taken last year showing the variation in plaster layers on the walls and during this year, block samples as well as archive and flotation samples were taken from each face of wall. No paintwork was noted on any of the other wall faces except for red patches on the north face of wall F.10, associated with the platform F.37. Due to the burning on this face, it was very hard to trace the proper extent or any design with this paintwork, suffice to say that the floor beside this wall on the platform was also painted red and that this part of the platform was clearly being marked out in some way, evidenced also by the special deposit placed in the post cavity here and the fact that the burning was focused/limited to this side of the platform.

Access between Spaces 70 & 71

Step and Blocking Brickwork (F.201) - Removal of the plasterwork from the stepway between Spaces 70 and 71 revealed three different types of brickwork and mortar in such a way as to suggest that the access had been remodelled on at least one if not two occasions. The certain element is that an original opening occurred at the very junction of the partition wall F.3 and the main south wall F.4/F.6 which was 0.5m wide and had only a few plaster layers before it was bricked up. The size of this opening is small and suggests a tight crawlhole or a kind of 'porthole'/hatch. Adjacent to this was another original opening but with only the faintest trace of plaster and which remains ambiguous therefore whether it was an opening or a demolition event; however, this opening was wider, 0.7m wide and begun much closer to floor level, suggesting this was more likely to be the access for people between the rooms. Both were bricked up by the same materials ([2128]/[2129]) producing a much more opened up single access 1.5m wide. Either at the same time, or more likely much later, the north part of this was bricked up in different materials ([2122]/[2123]), reducing the opening to 0.9m wide and in this brickwork at the junction with the partition wall F.3 was set a horn core [1952] projecting into Space 71 (removed in 1996).

Burials

Burials can be split into three groups: those under the northwestern platform F.13, those under the central eastern platform F.37 and those in the space in between in the northern part of Space 71.

Burials under Platform F.13 (F.38, F.42, F.47, F.202, F.204, F.207) - A 'mass grave' of bodies excavated mostly in 1996, the interments under F.13 were at times extremely hard to unravel and took the most time this season to complete. F.38 required the clearing out of a few remaining bones [1975], but it seems clear now that F.38 is composed of several identifiable events which can be separated post facto. Before F.38, was F.42, a small grave with disarticulated cranial and post-cranial bones ([1484],[1961]), and preceding this were two, in unknown order, F.47 and F.202. F.47 was an irregular (and probably therefore composite) grave cut with several disarticulated individuals ([2168], [2126], [1989], [1955]) and a single articulated infant [2125]. F.202 consisted of an articulated infant with bead necklace and pendant [2105]. Beneath F.202 lay F.207, a semi-articulated infant [2141] and beneath F.47 was F.204, a crouched adult [2169] with the disarticulated remains of two others ([2195], [2506]).

Burials under Platform F.37 (F.28, F.49, F.200, F.212) - Like F.38 under platform F.13, F.28 is a composite of multiple interments which can be separated; only the latest was excavated last season, the headless [1466] with mustelid penis bone (along with disarticulated fragments over and beneath). This year more disarticulated or semi-articulated bones were excavated including two articulated torsos [1963] and [1968]. Adjacent to these but at an uncertain point in the sequence, was F.49, an articulated adult [1995] but which had suffered truncation in the lower half by later interments. Beneath all these were two undisturbed primary burials, of which F.200 was probably the later; it consisted of a crouched adult skeleton [2115] accompanied by decayed organic matter and ochre. The earliest burial seems to have been F.212, a crouched juvenile associated with five bone rings, plaster, ochre and decayed organic matter [2119].

Burials under floors, Space 71 (F.40, F.44, F.45) - Most of the burials in this area were removed last year except for two known and one new burial. A pair placed just beneath the wall relief F.26 (see above) was a double infant inhumation F.44 ([1940/1959], [1951/1960] with a few disarticulated bones [1935] and was interred prior to the remodelling of the wall relief - indeed one possibility is that the bodies were inserted into a pit dug originally to remove the post which was part of the primary phase of the wall relief. A similar pit was found at the base of the opposite wall relief (but with no human burial), and similar pits were found in the Mellaart area (Building 2) this season at the base of plastered wall posts/pilasters. In any event, during the course of excavation, F.44 was found to cut another burial F.45, an articulated infant [1992], disturbed slightly by F.44. A deep burial F.40 also contained a double infant interment, this time one on top of the other; the uppermost was excavated last year, the lower [1950], this season. Both were striking for the quantity of phytoliths found associated, indicative of a textile lining/shroud.

The Construction of Building 1

Following stripping of all the plaster from the walls of the building, the exposed internal brickwork elevations were drawn at 1:10; then all internal walls were removed along with the sub-floor make-up deposits, during the course of which, several further human burials were excavated which had been interred within these deposits. Noticeably, the plaster did not continue on the faces of the walls below the floor levels.

Upper walls and Foundation brickwork

Internal Walls (F.3, F.8, F.10) - Three internal walls were integral to the original construction of Building 1, bonded into the main outer shell walls. F.3 was the principal internal wall, partitioning the building into two rooms, Spaces 70 and 71. As already discussed, the access between the two rooms was at the southern end and consisted in its original form as two openings, a larger and smaller one. The brickwork for this was the same as the rest of the walls (internal and outer) and consisted of two phases or types of brickwork. The upper coursing of similarly coloured brick and mortar, the mortar distinct by its more clayey texture ([2148]/[2149]) may represent a later rebuild of the upper half of the building or simply a change in material - it is consistent across all the primary walls of the building. The lower course was a more stark contrast of pale brown brick and grey mortar ([2150]/[2151]). Along F.3, the brickwork had clearly slumped in two places, twisting the fabric in different directions; the slumping appears to be related to, in the one case a plaster-lined pit in Space 71, F.34 (excavated last year) and in the other, the burials under platform F.13, specifically F.38. Walls F.8 and F.10 bounded the central platform F.37 and originally had posts set at their ends (see above); their construction follows that for F.3.

Outer shell walls (F.1, F.2, F.4-7) - Beneath the lower course of brickwork described for F.3, there were further courses in the same material and then a change to a third type, a 'foundation course', which was only present on the outer shell walls, F.1, F.2, F.4-7. These continued to a depth of 0.25-0.45m or two to four courses whereupon they rested on top of the walls of the next building below. The brickwork of these walls was not seen but the possibility remains of course that these 'foundation' bricks are in fact the bricks of the next building, denuded of plaster - although it is hard to envisage why this was done. Slumping was also noticeable along the western wall F.2 (though for what reason, this is less clear - perhaps a soft patch in the levelling deposits?) and here it appears as if the upper coursing of brickwork was set to repair this. Possibly then, the upper coursing was a rebuild of the upper part of the building after severe subsidence causing the roof to bow and possibly fall in. If so, this must have taken place before phase III as the upper coursing continues on those walls presumably out of use by this time.

Foundation deposits

A sequence of four overlapping foundation deposits were excavated under the floors of Building 1 this year, employing a 2m grid aligned on the site grid. The upper layer covered almost the whole building save the eastern margins and consisted of a fairly dark silty clay with abundant charcoal inclusions. This layer abutted and continued under the partition wall F.3 suggesting it was laid at roughly the same time. Under this at the southwestern part of the building only lay a paler, browner silty loam with almost no inclusions; it overlay the third layer which covered the eastern two-thirds of the area, a similarly coloured and textured matrix but with greater inclusions such as fragments of plaster and other aggregates. The fourth and final layer reached which covered the whole area, was a darker clay silt with some charcoal inclusions and other material. It was at this level that the top of the next building was encountered and continues down; at this point the 2m grid was dispensed with and a second spit was removed as a whole to expose sufficient of the next building to recover a ground plan.

It must be remarked that on the whole, these deposits displayed no internal bedding whatsoever and were laid down fairly rapidly; in many cases the interfaces were not always very distinct, suggestive of little time lapsing between each layer being deposited nor was their any clear sign of a weathered surface on any of the layers. Moreover the extent of the layers and the angle of slope points to their being dumped in from certain sides of the building, the upper first and second layers from the west, the third from the east. The fourth or primary layer is somewhat different for it extended across the whole building and indeed even, as far as can be ascertained outside the building in Spaces 69 and 73. Since the outer shell walls continued down, it is possible that the foundation brickwork cut through this primary layer, while all the others were contained within the four walls of Building 1. Excavation in the two inter-building spaces to the east and west was stopped at this level, so in effect the same, single deposit now lies across the whole of the North Area opened up.

Foundation burials

During the removal of the foundation deposits described above, several further burials were discovered which for the most part, were totally undisturbed by later activities. In most cases, the grave cuts for the burials were difficult if not ambiguous to define and it seems that all the burials were in any event placed within the foundation deposits as they were being laid. Whether hollows were scooped out to hold the body or the body was laid as material was dumped in, is hard to assess but perhaps is less significant than the fact that the bodies were placed in more or less contemporaneously with the deposits which themselves were dumped in en masse and fairly rapidly. However, within that, it is still possible to broadly group the foundation burials in terms of their sequence of deposition into two.

Upper foundation burials (F.205, F.206, F.208, F.210) - A group of three infant interments were laid up against the east side of partition wall F.3 at the threshold of the access step between Spaces 70 and 71 and within the upper foundation layer (F.205/[2199], F.206/[2197], F.208/[2515]). Given their location within the upper layer and their position respecting the wall, it strongly suggests that they were placed in after the wall was built and if not during the final levelling of the upper layer, soon thereafter. These were very possibly the final foundation interments. Burial F.210 was almost totally disturbed by a later burial (F.30) and survived solely as a badly crushed infant cranium with some post-cranial bones; it too was probably a very late foundation burial.

Lower Foundation Burials (F.209, F.211) - The clearest evidence of a cut came from F.209 which was distinctly inserted through the second foundation layer but with some of the upper layer infilling the top; this was a crouched adult with patchy phytoliths suggestive of a ribbon wrapping around the body [2529]. Probably the earliest foundation burial however was F.211, placed within the third layer and consisting of a double burial, an adult [2527] and child [2532], with abundant phytolith impressions of ribbon wrapping/braids in the same helical form as found in F.209. Ironically this was also the first foundation burial located as it lay underneath F.40 and was found at the start of the season but not excavated until the end.

Discussion

The primary aim of the 1997 season was to complete the excavation of Building 1 and to assess the nature of the archaeology below sufficiently so as to form a strategy for 1998. This has been achieved although at times it felt as if progress was slow due to the burials. Building 1 proved to be as complex as one could have wished and demonstrated a quite detailed sequence of changes; unfortunately this is not the place for a recapitulation of these changes especially as much post-excavation analysis and re-assessment needs to be conducted on the archive from the three seasons it took to investigate the building. Rather this report will end on what lies in store for next year and our present understanding of the building below Building 1.

The building awaiting investigation in 1998 appears to occupy the same area as Building 1 although some slumping and overhanging occurs which will necessitate the removal of the outer shell walls of Building 1 before anything else is done. This will also serve to clarify the groundplan of the next building and make it safer to work in what is becoming a deep excavation. Internally the next building appears to be divided into three rooms: an eastern rectangular room with access on the north side to a large central square room and a western rectangular room with access on the south side to the central room. Curiously, the line of the western partition wall almost exactly mirrors that of F.3 in Building 1 although the latter was not constructed directly on top of it but separated by about 0.5m of deposits. Apart from this, the layout of the next building is quite different from Building 1 - how different it will be interesting to discover however. One thing already we know however, and that is the sheer abundance of wall plaster within the central square room which can be seen from the tops of the walls in comparison with the two side rooms which have barely more than a few coats.

In order to evaluate the depth of walls surviving and how much work would be required next season to reach the floors, a small 1x1 m sondage was excavated in the northeast corner of the western room (in the same place as last years sondage). It showed an layering of maybe nor more than two or three deposits infilling the building to a depth of just under 1m before floors were reached - floors which were as thin as the wall plasters in that room.

While these soundings provide an idea of what to expect in the next building, there are more general points to be learnt from the excavation of Building 1 which can also help and in ending, I would like to draw attention to two. There is no doubt that, having seen a whole building excavated from (almost) start to finish, the key features were the floors for it is they, that tie all the elements together. However, one of the issues not fully realised is the almost equal importance of the wall plaster and relating these to the floors. Because the wall plaster was left to the very end, their removal was performed with, in effect, no stratigraphic control; this means that, for example tying in the painted plaster to floors can be done only approximately and inferentially. This needs to be addressed in the next building.

Second, a question hangs over multiple burials under the floors; it can be difficult to tie in a grave cut to a particular floor and this needs to be given more attention and is easily resolved through working sections. However, when a grave has been opened several times, recognising each individual cut in a multiple burial is next to impossible, even with sections since one could potentially need a section across every possible axis of the 'grave'. This may be a problem escaping resolution and it may be sufficient anyway to try to recognise the first and last cuts. Another issue, less of a problem and more of something to be aware of, is that the stratigraphic sequence of multiple skeletons in a burial feature will not be the same as the original interment, since their stratigraphic position will be their most recently, i.e. redeposited position. It is possible that the latest interment could be at the bottom of a grave and the primary one, disarticulated and at the top.

Despite all these preparations for what will come however, the excitement will surely come in what is unexpected, what is new and different about the next building which lies waiting for us in 1998.

Figure 13: Wall 3 showing moulding and painting. (drawn by C.Cessford)

Figure 14: Wall painting 2516 (drawn by C.Cessford)

© Çatalhöyük Research Project and individual authors, 1997