ÇATALHÖYÜK 2001 ARCHIVE REPORT
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BACH Area Clay balls, Mini balls and Geometric Objects
BACH Bölgesi Kil topları, Mini topları ve Geometrik Objeleri
Sonya Atalay
Abstract
Data and analysis of all material from the BACH area is presented, not only from the 2001 field season but from 1997-2001. There is a description of general trends in the BACH data and a comparison of this data with other materials from throughout the site. Finally, a description and discussion of feature 758, a unique mini ball feature excavated this season in the BACH area, is given.
Özet
Bu raporda sadece 2001 kazın sezonunda çıkan buluntular değil, 1997 - 2001 arasında ele geçen bütün buluntuların analizi verilmiştir. Genel olarak BACH bölgesinden gelen veriler değerlendirilmiş, ancak höyüğün diğer bölgelerinin buluntularıyla da karşılaştırmalar yapılmıştır. Son olarak 758 nolu ögenin - bu sene BACH bölgesinden ele geçen ünik bir mini top ögesi - tanımı ve tartışması sunulmuştur.
Looking beyond 'Priority Units'
During the 2001 field season I completed phase 1 analysis on all Bach area clay balls, mini balls, and geometric objects from the 1997-2001 field seasons. This includes all materials excavated thus far in building 3. Prior to this season, I had focussed my efforts on the materials from priority units (chosen during priority tours) of the Bach, South, North, Kopal and West areas (Suponcic 1998, 1999; Atalay 2000). The 2001 field season was therefore quite exciting since it was the first time I have been able to examine and record all the material from any one building on site. I should note that while I have recorded all materials found thus far from the BACH area (building 3 and part of its exterior midden), the excavation of this house is not entirely complete. Additional clay ball materials may be found in the small remaining segment of excavation (planned for summer 2002).
Some general notes on the BACH clay ball material
Of the nearly 900 units excavated thus far in the BACH area, 162 units had clay ball material (clay balls, geometric objects, or mini balls) (see Table 17 for a complete list of units containing ball materials). Figure 41 illustrates the total number of pieces for each clay ball material type (balls, mini balls, geometric objects) excavated from the BACH area. As will be discussed below, a unique mini ball feature (f.758) was excavated this season and contained nearly 800 mini ball pieces. The counts and weights for f.758 are not included in Figure 41 and Figure 42 since the presence of this one feature shifts the overall picture of clay ball types within BACH building 3. I have included the data for f.758 in Figure 43 and Figure 44 in order to illustrate the difference that this one feature makes in the overall story of clay ball materials for the BACH area.
Without considering feature 758, as with most other areas on site, there is a larger percentage of clay balls than mini balls and geometric objects found in the BACH area. The mini balls are smaller and less dense than the clay balls and geometric objects, which explains why they make up a smaller percentage of the data set by mass (only 2%). However, a comparison of the overall percentages of the balls, objects and minis by count shows that the balls not only have a higher total mass, but are also more numerous than the mini balls and the geometric objects. Balls make up 77% of the total assemblage by count. This same pattern is true for other areas on site, where in every other building excavated clay balls consistently outnumber mini balls. When f.758 is included in these calculations, the BACH area stands out from other areas on site in that the count of mini balls is actually larger than the balls and objects (see Figure 44).
The BACH area mini balls outnumber clay objects by more than 50% (see Figure 41). While there are only 57 (7%) geometric objects from the entire BACH assemblage, there are 129 (16%) mini ball pieces. Of course this contrast is even more apparent when the 785 mini ball pieces from f.758 are considered, bringing the mini ball percentage to 57% while the objects make up only 4% of the total assemblage. One might think that this large mini ball count is related to the fragile fabric of the mini balls and can be attributed to differential breakage (creating more pieces and thus increasing the count). However this is not at all the case since the majority of the mini balls found are whole and not fragmented at all. In fact, the high amount of fragmentation of the geometric objects might contribute to an inflated number of objects, making the difference in these two types even more apparent.
BACH clay balls vs. other areas on site
Although the clay balls comprise a large percentage of the BACH assemblage, when compared with the buildings from the South area, the clay ball counts for the BACH area are quite low. I have not yet completed a direct density comparison of BACH clay ball materials with those from other areas of the site due to the incomplete nature of the data sets I have analyzed. As I already discussed, I have only counts and weights from a very limited sample of units from the South, Kopal and North areas, while I have data for all BACH units. However having only recorded a limited amount of material from the South and Kopal areas, it is already very clear that the amount of clay ball materials from the BACH area is much lower than buildings comparable size in the South or off-site locations in the Kopal area.
The BACH area is not alone in having a low amount of clay ball materials. The amount of material found in BACH closely resembles that found in neighboring buildings 1 and 5 (North area). Similarly, both the BACH and North areas have a larger percentage of mini balls than geometric objects (by count). These patterns are only based on the general trends that I noticed while recording the Bach clay ball materials in the field. A more complete discussion of these issue as well as an in depth comparison of materials from BACH, North, South and Kopal will be presented in my PhD dissertation (Atalay forthcoming, expected July 2002).
Attributes of clay ball materials from BACH
In terms of attributes, this season's analysis confirmed that BACH Clay balls, minis and geometric objects are similar to materials found elsewhere on site in nearly all respects. However, I did notice a clear distinction between the BACH materials and those from other areas on site in terms of ball and object fragmentation. The number of whole (unbroken) and 3/4 sized clay balls is much lower in the BACH area than in the South and Kopal areas. This trend is also evident in the North material, which also has only a very small number of whole clay balls. While the low number of whole balls is related to the lack of in-situ clay ball features found in the BACH area, this does not entirely explain the fragmentation pattern of these materials. Nearly every building excavated in the South area had a large number of whole balls found in room fill, packing and leveling units. However, in the BACH area, only 2 whole balls were found (in units 8142 (room fill) and 8292 (floor packing)) and no 3/4 balls. Additionally, the only clay objects found in BACH were fragments smaller than 1/4 of the complete form. In comparison, though I have only recorded a small percentage of the material recovered from each of 4 buildings in the South area, there are already at least 50% more whole clay balls recorded in fill and packing contexts than in the BACH area (in some case as many as 20 whole balls from room fill contexts).
Feature 758: the mini ball basin
Prior to this season, all clay ball materials in the BACH area appeared to be in secondary or tertiary context. The majority of balls, minis, and objects were primarily fragments found in room fill or packing contexts. This pattern resembles the ball materials found in the North, but is in direct contrast to balls and objects found in the South area. In the South area, most buildings excavated thus far have had at least one feature with clay balls found in large or moderate numbers in primary use contexts (whole balls and objects filling bins or lining oven bases).
Feature 758, excavated in the BACH area this season, is not only the first primary context clay ball feature in the BACH area, but it is also the only mini ball feature found yet on site. The feature is made of a fine white plaster base which abuts the edge of a horseshoe shape oven. The white plaster forms a rectangular shape, which was filled with mini clay balls and then covered with a similar white plaster covering. The plaster shape of this feature has been labeled as a 'basin' or 'tray'. The mini balls were placed in the basin while the plaster of the basin was still wet. This can be seen from the rounded indentations the mini balls made in the still wet plaster. Some of the balls themselves were still wet when placed in the basin since they have clearly been deformed to the shape of the balls and basin around them. There were 727 mini balls (2070g) in the fill of the basin (unit #8164) and another 58 mini balls (163g) which were adhering to the white plaster covering (unit #8100) when the basin was first exposed. The total number of mini balls for this feature is 785 pieces (2233g) most of which are whole mini balls. All the mini balls in this feature were unbroken when uncovered but their lack of firing makes them quite fragile and several were fractured during removal.
The mini balls in feature 758 are all made from a very similar clay matrix and were likely all manufactured at once. None of these were fired and most do not even appear to have been sun dried. In-situ the balls were surrounded with a fine plaste- like matrix which was likely poured into the basin after the balls were in place. The lack of surface coherance on the mini balls is unlike the usual surface found on mini balls elsewhere in the BACH area or other areas on site. This is strong evidence for a wet or moist environment when the mini balls were placed in the basin. The clay matrix of these mini balls is similar to other mini balls found on site and is lacking any kind of organic or mineral inclusions. The surfaces are moderately rough due to flaking and the adhering of plaster matrix to the surface of most mini balls. The diameter of the balls range from 0.9 - 2.8cm and most are spherical, but not evenly rounded into 'perfect' spheres. They seem to have been quickly formed and then placed into the basin.
Although this basin was built to directly abut the oven to the north of it, it does not seem to have been heat affected. There was some slight discoloration of the plaster basin's base and edges nearest to the oven, but the mini balls themselves do not appear to have been very heat affected. The mini balls in the northern most section of the basin (nearest to the oven) are similar in hardness, color, and texture as those in the south of the basin. For this reason, I do not feel that this feature was 'functionally' related to the oven (i.e. it was not used for cooking or warming of food etc.). However I do feel that this feature was strongly associated with the oven for those who built, filled and covered this basin feature.
My current interpretation of this basin feature is that it's importance was related to the social aspects of the house and the symbolic association of hearth with home and household. I believe it was built near the hearth in order to be associated with the 'center' of the household. The hearth may have represented not only a place to prepare and cook food and to warm the building, but also a central focus of the inhabitants' family life and well being. If this was the case, then things placed (buried) near the hearth may have also been associated with the symbolic center of the household and might have also enjoyed protection. In this view, the mini balls could represent many things: memories of people, days, feasts, grain gathered and stored. Whatever these mini balls represented, placing a ball in this basin near the hearth may have been a way to also keep those people, materials, or memories safe and symbolically 'home' near the hearth. Conversely, these mini clay balls might have represented something from the outside community being brought into the hearth area in an additive way that might give the 'household' members themselves some benefit in a communal symbolic act of 'warming'. This might be thought of as a form of 'housewarming'.
These are only some of the ideas I have about this feature currently. While I cannot be certain about the exact meaning these mini balls had before they went into the ground, it is certain that they were not intended to be seen on a daily basis and were covered quickly with a plaster lid. Additionally, the mini balls did not receive enough heat from the hearth to become baked or fire hardened. This indicates that this feature was never warm enough to use in cooking and its usefulness as a food -warming device seems extremely limited and unlikely.
References
Atalay, Sonya. 2000. Tracing the Hermeneutic Circle in the Analysis of Clay Balls and Objects. Archive Report for the 2000 Field Season. http://www.catalhoyuk.com/Archive_rep00/atalay00.html
Suponcic, Sonya. 1999. Archive Report for the 1999 Field Season. http://www.catalhoyuk.com/Archive_rep99/suponcic99.html
Suponcic, Sonya. 1998. Archive Report for the 1998 Field Season. http://www.catalhoyuk.com/Archive_rep98/suponcic98.html
Figures
Figure 38: F.758: Mini ball 'basin' next to oven
Figure 39: Mini ball basin abutting oven
Figure 40: Mini balls from F.758 in lab
Figure 41: Clay Ball Material by Count
Figure 42: Clay Ball Materials by Weight
Figure 43: Clay Balls by Count including F758
Figure 44: Clay Balls by Weight including F758
Tables
Table 17: BACH Clay Ball Materials 1997-2001
| Unit # | Shape | number of pieces | Mass (g) |
| 2200 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 2201 | ball | 2 | 31 |
| 2202 | ball | 2 | 13 |
| 2202 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 2203 | ball | 1 | 16 |
| 2204 | ball | 16 | 183 |
| 2206 | ball | 4 | 30 |
| 2207 | ball | 4 | 101 |
| 2208 | ball | 3 | 80 |
| 2209 | ball | 3 | 102 |
| 2209 | object | 1 | 7 |
| 2212 | ball | 2 | 11 |
| 2213 | ball | 4 | 71 |
| 2218 | ball | 3 | 55 |
| 2220 | ball | 6 | 47 |
| 2220 | mini | 2 | 5 |
| 2220 | object | 1 | 59 |
| 2221 | ball | 5 | 119 |
| 2221 | object | 1 | 35 |
| 2222 | ball | 4 | 49 |
| 2222 | mini | 2 | 3 |
| 2223 | ball | 6 | 96 |
| 2224 | ball | 1 | 22 |
| 2226 | ball | 3 | 25 |
| 2227 | ball | 1 | 24 |
| 2228 | object | 1 | 40 |
| 2229 | ball | 1 | 13 |
| 2229 | mini | 1 | 7 |
| 2229 | object | 2 | 32 |
| 2230 | ball | 1 | 3 |
| 2233 | ball | 6 | 231 |
| 2233 | mini | 2 | 6 |
| 2237 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 2238 | ball | 7 | 133 |
| 2239 | ball | 6 | 114 |
| 2239 | object | 1 | 46 |
| 2246 | ball | 6 | 63 |
| 2247 | ball | 4 | 46 |
| 2247 | object | 1 | 22 |
| 2249 | ball | 3 | 62 |
| 2249 | mini | 14 | 25 |
| 2250 | ball | 7 | 138 |
| 2250 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 2252 | ball | 5 | 49 |
| 2255 | ball | 10 | 169 |
| 2255 | mini | 4 | 9 |
| 2255 | object | 2 | 137 |
| 2256 | ball | 5 | 93 |
| 2258 | ball | 3 | 24 |
| 2259 | ball | 5 | 83 |
| 2261 | ball | 11 | 234 |
| 2261 | object | 1 | 17 |
| 2262 | ball | 7 | 128 |
| 2266 | flat object | 1 | 7 |
| 2266 | mini | 1 | 5 |
| 2268 | ball | 1 | 3 |
| 2269 | ball | 9 | 181 |
| 2269 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 2270 | ball | 4 | 90 |
| 2272 | ball | 3 | 45 |
| 2272 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 2273 | ball | 1 | 37 |
| 2275 | ball | 1 | 25 |
| 2281 | ball | 4 | 219 |
| 2281 | mini | 5 | 11 |
| 2285 | ball | 2 | 22 |
| 2285 | figurine? | 1 | 3 |
| 2289 | ball | 1 | 21 |
| 2291 | ball | 1 | 22 |
| 2294 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 2298 | ball | 2 | 39 |
| 3502 | ball | 1 | 8 |
| 3507 | ball | 1 | 21 |
| 3508 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 3510 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 3517 | ball | 1 | 2 |
| 3520 | ball | 3 | 111 |
| 3527 | ball | 2 | 41 |
| 3530 | ball | 1 | 522 |
| 3530 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 3530 | object | 1 | 101 |
| 3531 | ball | 6 | 96 |
| 3532 | ball | 8 | 91 |
| 3532 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 3533 | ball | 1 | 9 |
| 3533 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 3536 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 3537 | ball | 23 | 433 |
| 3537 | mini balloid | 1 | 2 |
| 3537 | mini object | 1 | 3 |
| 3537 | object (rounded) | 3 | 50 |
| 3539 | ball | 1 | 5 |
| 3540 | ball | 2 | 114 |
| 3542 | ball | 1 | 7 |
| 3542 | object | 2 | 54 |
| 3543 | ball | 7 | 64 |
| 3543 | object (cone like) | 1 | 124 |
| 3546 | ball | 1 | 6 |
| 3549 | ball | 2 | 32 |
| 3550 | ball | 1 | 2 |
| 3552 | ball | 27 | 509 |
| 3552 | flat object | 1 | 19 |
| 3552 | mini | 3 | 9 |
| 3552 | tube | 2 | 2 |
| 3554 | ball | 1 | 2 |
| 3554 | Flat object | 1 | 11 |
| 3555 | ball | 2 | 35 |
| 3555 | flat object | 1 | 6 |
| 3555 | object (rounded) | 1 | 17 |
| 3557 | ball | 1 | 15 |
| 3560 | ball | 5 | 126 |
| 3560 | flat object | 1 | 1 |
| 3561 | ball | 1 | 29 |
| 3561 | object | 1 | 12 |
| 3562 | ball | 3 | 14 |
| 3563 | ball | 2 | 33 |
| 3563 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 3572 | ball | 3 | 40 |
| 3573 | ball | 2 | 32 |
| 3576 | ball | 2 | 61 |
| 3578 | ball | 1 | 5 |
| 3579 | ball | 4 | 28 |
| 3580 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 3583 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 3584 | ball | 2 | 5 |
| 3584 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 3584 | rectangular | 1 | 18 |
| 3584 | tube | 1 | 1 |
| 3586 | ball | 1 | 44 |
| 3586 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 3587 | ball | 11 | 139 |
| 3587 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 3588 | mini | 2 | 4 |
| 3589 | ball | 4 | 56 |
| 3595 | ball | 1 | 8 |
| 6104 | flat object | 1 | 1 |
| 6104 | mini | 1 | 5 |
| 6112 | ball | 2 | 6 |
| 6112 | balloid? | 1 | 19 |
| 6120 | ball | 2 | 30 |
| 6120 | mini | 2 | 3 |
| 6123 | ball | 2 | 2 |
| 6128 | ball | 2 | |
| 6131 | ball | 1 | 7 |
| 6131 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6135 | mini balloid | 1 | 2 |
| 6135 | mini eliptoid? | 1 | 1 |
| 6145 | object | 1 | 12 |
| 6147 | ball | 1 | 22 |
| 6147 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6166 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 6170 | ball | 2 | 32 |
| 6170 | flat | 1 | 5 |
| 6172 | ball | 1 | 6 |
| 6178 | ball | 1 | 64 |
| 6184 | ball | 2 | 13 |
| 6184 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6186 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6196 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 6201 | ball | 19 | |
| 6201 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6209 | ball | 1 | 8 |
| 6211 | ball | 6 | 26 |
| 6211 | flat object | 3 | 3 |
| 6211 | mini | 3 | 5 |
| 6216 | ball | 1 | 24 |
| 6250 | ball | 1 | 20 |
| 6250 | flat object | 3 | 6 |
| 6261 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6279 | ball | 8 | 299 |
| 6279 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 6288 | ball | 2 | 52 |
| 6288 | cone | 1 | 75 |
| 6288 | mini | 2 | 3 |
| 6299 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6303 | ball | 1 | 14 |
| 6311 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6320 | ball | 1 | 7 |
| 6323 | ball | 6 | 54 |
| 6323 | mini | 5 | 9 |
| 6327 | ball | 1 | 9 |
| 6328 | ball | 4 | 81 |
| 6334 | ball | 10 | 162 |
| 6334 | object | 3 | 60 |
| 6350 | ball | 9 | 235 |
| 6352 | ball | 2 | 2 |
| 6363 | ball | 4 | 24 |
| 6364 | ball | 9 | 189 |
| 6364 | object | 1 | 30 |
| 6367 | ball | 1 | 39 |
| 6380 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6382 | ball | 13 | 359 |
| 6382 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6391 | ball | 3 | 115 |
| 6393 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 6398 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 6399 | ball | 1 | 44 |
| 6602 | ball | 1 | 5 |
| 6602 | flat object | 1 | 3 |
| 6602 | mini eliptoid | 1 | 2 |
| 6603 | ball | 3 | 41 |
| 6603 | mini | 2 | 2 |
| 6607 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6608 | ball | 9 | 179 |
| 6608 | mini | 2 | 6 |
| 6620 | ball | 2 | 14 |
| 6620 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 6623 | disc | 1 | 1 |
| 6625 | ball | 1 | 8 |
| 6625 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6627 | ball | 1 | 3 |
| 6630 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6633 | ball | 5 | 15 |
| 6634 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 6635 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 6636 | ball | 4 | 47 |
| 6640 | ball | 5 | 115 |
| 6640 | cone | 1 | 29 |
| 6640 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6641 | ball | 3 | 7 |
| 6641 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6650 | ball | 8 | 224 |
| 6653 | ball | 3 | 23 |
| 6653 | mini | 2 | 3 |
| 6661 | ball | 1 | 6 |
| 6662 | ball | 3 | 37 |
| 6666 | ball | 3 | 13 |
| 6666 | cylinder | 1 | 116 |
| 6672 | ball | 4 | 30 |
| 6672 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 6676 | cylinder | 1 | 29 |
| 6679 | cone | 1 | 8 |
| 6680 | ball | 1 | 2 |
| 6693 | ball | 10 | 65 |
| 6693 | mini | 5 | 7 |
| 6695 | ball | 1 | 9 |
| 6697 | ball | 1 | 69 |
| 8100 | mini | 58 | 163 |
| 8102 | object | 1 | 1 |
| 8108 | ball | 1 | 49 |
| 8112 | ball | 1 | 3 |
| 8118 | ball | 1 | 34 |
| 8136 | ball | 2 | 2 |
| 8138 | ball | 2 | 69 |
| 8142 | ball | 1 | 223 |
| 8143 | ball | 2 | 29 |
| 8143 | mini | 1 | 2 |
| 8143 | object | 1 | 12 |
| 8159 | ball | 6 | 90 |
| 8159 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 8164 | mini | 727 | 2070 |
| 8165 | ball | 2 | 21 |
| 8165 | mini | 4 | 12 |
| 8170 | ball | 1 | 4 |
| 8176 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 8177 | mini balloid? | 1 | 1 |
| 8178 | ball | 20 | 169 |
| 8178 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 8178 | mini balloid | 1 | 1 |
| 8183 | ball | 4 | 21 |
| 8192 | ball | 2 | 15 |
| 8192 | flat object? | 1 | 2 |
| 8192 | mini | 1 | 9 |
| 8201 | ball | 1 | 61 |
| 8206 | mini | 1 | 4 |
| 8209 | ball | 2 | 71 |
| 8215 | ball | 7 | 23 |
| 8215 | mix | 1 | 94 |
| 8216 | ball | 1 | 54 |
| 8241 | mini | 1 | 11 |
| 8245 | object | 1 | 9 |
| 8251 | ball | 3 | 294 |
| 8253 | ball | 9 | 115 |
| 8253 | mini | 3 | 8 |
| 8265 | ball | 12 | 192 |
| 8268 | ball | 3 | 3 |
| 8274 | ball | 2 | 25 |
| 8277 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 8292 | ball | 1 | 248 |
| 8292 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 8306 | mini | 2 | 5 |
| 8310 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 8312 | ball | 8 | 97 |
| 8312 | mini | 3 | 7 |
| 8315 | ball | 2 | 65 |
| 8315 | mini balloid | 1 | 2 |
| 8323 | ball | 1 | 1 |
| 8330 | ball | 4 | 172 |
| 8330 | object | 2 | 121 |
| 8338 | ball | 3 | 13 |
| 8340 | ball | 1 | 185 |
| 8349 | ball | 2 | 2 |
| 8353 | ball | 1 | 169 |
| 8354 | ball | 4 | 38 |
| 8354 | mini | 1 | 1 |
| 8357 | ball | 1 | 9 |
| 8357 | mini | 1 | 3 |
| 8359 | ball | 2 | 20 |
| 8359 | mini | 8 | 9 |
| 8359 | mini balloid | 1 | 2 |
| 8359 | mini object | 2 | 2 |
| 8373 | ball | 3 | 85 |
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© Çatalhöyük Research Project and individual authors, 2001