Çatalhöyük 2001 Archive Report

ÇATALHÖYÜK 2001 ARCHIVE REPORT

TP area archaeobotan

TP alanı arkeobotanisi

Marek Polcyn

Abstract

Archaeobotanical analyses at the TP area in the 2001 season included sampling of the selected excavation contexts, flotation recovery of botanical remains, and overseeing the sorting of the heavy residue fractions of the floated matrix. In all 20 samples from floors, burials fills, hearths, and walls were floated. The following main plant categories have been recognized: grains of Triticum sp. (most likely T. dicoccum/spelta), grains + and rachis of Hordeum sp.(most likely Hordeum vulgare, hulled variety), chaff, Galium sp., Fabaceae, Poaceae, Scirpus sp, Lithospermum sp., Indeterminate. 19 phytolith samples have been taken from similar contexts and will be analyzed in the next few months.

Özet

TP alanının 2001 sezonu arkeobotani analizleri, seçilen kazı kontektslerinden örnek alma, bitki kalıntılarının sulu elek yöntemiyle ele geçirilmesi ve bu yöntemden elde edilen ağır çökeltilerin tasnif edilmesinden oluşmuştur. Toplamda tabanlardan, mezar dolgularından, ocak yerlerinden ve duvarlardan gelen 20 örnek incelenmiştir. Aşağıdaki ana bitki kategorileri tespit edilmiştir: Triticum sp. (büyük ihtimalle T. dicoccum/spelta) taneleri, Hordeum sp. (büyük ihtimalle Hordeum vulgare) tane + rachis, saman, Galium sp., Fabaceae, Poaceae, Scirpus sp., Lithospermum sp., Indeterminate. Benzer kontektslerden 19 pitolit örneği alınmıştır ve önümüzdeki aylarda analizleri yapılacaktır.

The 2001 season saw the opening of the Team Poznań excavation area on the East mound. The Neolithic levels has not yet been reached and archaeological exploration comprised mainly Byzantine and Roman deposits. Onsite archaeobotanical activity included working out basic methodologies such as sampling of the selected excavation contexts, flotation recovery of botanical remains, and overseeing the sorting of the heavy residue fractions of the floated matrix.

Samples came from the following contexts: floors, burial fills, hearths and walls. In all 20 samples were floated. Both flotation machines were used, with a .5 mm mesh to capture the heavy residue portions of the samples. The samples range in size between .5 to 30 liters. The obtained residue was dry-sieved into three fractions: > 4 mm, > 2 mm, > 0,5 mm. Then the material was sorted and the preliminary taxonomic identifications of the archaeobotanical remains have been made.

All plant remains are carbonized and their state of preservation is good. Charcoal is a significant component of most of the samples. The following plant categories has been recognized: grains of Triticum sp. (most likely T. dicoccum/spelta), grains + and rachis of Hordeum sp.(most likely Hordeum vulgare, hulled variety), chaff, Galium sp., Fabaceae, Poaceae, Scirpus sp, Lithospermum sp., Indeterminate. For the taxonomic listing according to a unit refer to the table 2 below.

In two samples cf. sheep/goat coprolites were identified. They were both carbonized and desiccated.

In total 19 phytolith samples were also taken from various archaeological contexts, most of them from walls. We are particularly interested in revealing possible differences between the recorded walls on the basis of phytolith content. For reference we also did some ethnoarchaeological research interviewing local people in the village of Salzgecit, sampling an old house and the nearby cropfields. This material will be studied during winter 2001/ spring 2002 in Poland.

Table 2: Taxonomic listing of botanical remains

Unit number	Unit characteristics	Botanical remains	Frequency
6787		Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Galium sp., chaff, coprolites	medium
6856	Brick wall	Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., chaff	low
6857	Brick wall	Triticum sp., Fabaceae, chaff, coprolites	medium
6868	Row of bricks	Scirpus sp., Fabaceae	low
6906	Row of bricks	Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Gramineae, Cyperus sp., Lithospermum sp., coprolites	high
6907	Brick wall	Triticum sp., Indet.	low
6910	Row of bricks	Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Scirpus sp.	low
6919	Pit infill	Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Fabaceae, Scirpus sp., Gramineae, Galium sp., chaff,	high
6984	Arbitrary layer	Scirpus sp., Triticum sp.	low
6992	Arbitrary layer	Triticum sp., Scirpus sp.	low
7011		Scirpus sp.	low
7015	Pit infill	Scirpus sp., Triticum sp.	low
7077		Fabaceae, Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Scirpus sp.	medium
7090		Chaff, Triticum sp., Fabaceae, Scirpus sp.	medium
7093	Pit infill	Triticum sp., Hordeum sp., Scirpus sp.	medium

List of Samples exported for further botanical analysis:

6985, S4, phyt (19)
6948, S2, chem (2)
6984, S1, phyt, (14)
6868, S3, phyt, (6)
6857, S3, phyt, (3)
6857, S1, phyt, (4)
5856, S3, phyt, (2)
6907, S1, phyt, (17)
6907, S7, paleo, (18)
6985, S3, chem, (4) brick with plaster
6992, S3, phyt, (10)
6984, S2, phyt,(13)
6984, S3, phyt, (12)
6868, S1, phyt, (5)
6910, S3, phyt, (7)
5856, S1, phyt, (1)
6992, S2, phyt, (11)
6910, S1, phyt, (8)
6992, S1, phyt, (9)
6907, S3, phyt, (16)
6985, S1, chem, (3) plaster
6985, S2, chem, (1), plaster
6907, S5, phyt, (15)
6984, S6, Cladocera, floor