Çatalhöyük 2003 Archive Report

ÇATALHÖYÜK 2003 ARCHIVE REPORT

THE ‘TEMPER’ PROJECT IN 2003

Louise Doughty

Training, Education, Management and Prehistory in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The Çatalhöyük Research Project continued its involvement in the ‘Temper’ project as it entered its second year. This section will provide an update on the Temper project as a whole and will focus specifically on Temper related events and activities concerning the site of Çatalhöyük.

Introduction

The ‘Temper’ project (‘Training, Education, Management and Prehistory in the Mediterranean’) is a Mediterranean wide heritage project funded by the European Union. The project involves five prehistoric sites in four Mediterranean countries: Çatalhöyük, Turkey; Paliambela Kolindros, Greece; Ubeidiya and Sha’ar Hagolan, Israel and Kordin III, Malta. The project has three key strands: the development of integrated site management plans; the development of educational programmes and the implementation of a training programme on heritage management.

Temper Developments in 2003

Much of 2002 was taken up with research and development. Each partner conducted research into the current state of heritage management and education in their country. For the management planning, international examples of best practice were studied and a ‘framework’ was created to guide the development of each integrated site management plan. On the educational side of the project, partners researched the current levels of archaeological educational provision, particularly involving prehistoric sites. As expected by the Temper team, this was low or non-existent in each country. The Temper educational programmes will address this specific gap in provision.

During the summer of 2003, educational programmes have been devised and piloted at Çatalhöyük, Turkey, Paliambela, Greece and Kordin III, Malta. Management plans have been developed for the above sites plus the two Israeli sites of Ubeidiya and Sha’ar Hagolan. In addition the project website (www.temper-euromed.org) has been extensively re-designed and expanded. As well as providing information on Temper aims and objectives, it now includes background information on all the sites involved and is regularly updated with the project newsletter, research results and information about forthcoming events.

The Temper Educational Programme at Çatalhöyük by the Economic and Social History Foundation

The team from the Economic and Social History Foundation, led by Dr Ayfer Bartu Candan, Gulay Sert and Idil Eser, developed a three-stage educational programme centred around Çatalhöyük and prehistoric archaeology. The pilot programme involved children aged between 8 – 12 years old from two schools in Istanbul and two schools from Kücükköy and Çümra. Research and consultation with teachers found that there was a general lack of resources on archaeology and prehistory, and that this was required to be able put Çatalhöyük into context. The pilot programme devised included two-hour classroom sessions on archaeology conducted by Gulay Sert with accompanying text books on archaeology and Çatalhöyük, a visit to the prehistory galleries of a museum (Istanbul Archaeology Museum and the Konya Museum) and culminated with a visit to Çatalhöyük during the excavation season. On 16th August 2003 over 70 children visited the site and took part in a number of different educational activities organised by the History Foundation. These included excavation of Mellaart’s spoil heap (Fig. 71), site tours with archaeologists, modelling figurines in clay (Fig. 72) and reproducing some of Çatalhöyük’s famous wall paintings (Fig. 73). The four books produced as part of Temper (one on archaeology and one on Çatalhöyük for 8 – 10 years old, and the same but aimed at 10 – 12 years old) have been so well received by the teachers that other schools have asked for copies. The History Foundation is hoping to re-print the books and distribute them to other schools.

Figure 71: Children ‘excavating’ Mellaart’s spoil heap


Figure 72: Clay figurine made as part of the Temper programme	Figure 73: Children painting the outside of the ‘experimental house’

Heritage Management Training

In September 2003 Oxford Brookes University hosted an intensive, residential training course as part of Temper. The course involved 15 participants from Turkey, Greece and Israel and focused on the integrated heritage management of prehistoric sites. Participants attended presentations by the Temper team and UK specialists from English Heritage and the Oxford Archaeological Unit. There were visits to examples of good practice, such as the UK National Monuments Record Centre, and a study tour to the prehistoric sites of Stonehenge, Avebury and West Kennet. It is hoped that the course participants will be able to disseminate their knowledge of management planning to their colleagues, in their countries.

Çatalhöyük Management Plan

Work on the Çatalhöyük management plan continued in 2003. Dr Aylin Orbasli of Oxford Brookes, who is preparing the plan in collaboration with the Çatalhöyük Research Project, visited Turkey in April and August to conduct consultation meetings at the Ministry of Culture, in Konya and at the site. In August a draft of the plan was presented and an evening discussion seminar took place. A consultation draft of the management plan is available on the Temper website: www.temper-euromed.org

Scientific Workshop on Management Plans

In November 2003 the Temper team members presented their management plans at a ‘scientific workshop’ to a peer review panel comprised of prehistorians, planning experts and tourism professionals. Professor Dr. Mehmet Ozdogan of Istanbul University , Tim Williams of University College London, and Dr Christopher Young, English Heritage, UK participated as members of the peer review panel and provided detailed feedback on the Çatalhöyük management plan.

Temper Next Steps

The Temper project will come to a close in June 2004. By that time, each site will have a management plan and an educational programme. The project intends to publish an edited volume of papers on heritage management and education for prehistoric sites which will include case studies from Temper and guidelines on developing management plans and educational programmes for other prehistoric sites. In April 2004 there will be an international conference on the same issues, held in Rhodes, Greece. This is a free 3 day conference with speakers from all over the Mediterranean and the wider Middle East. The call for papers for the conference and general information for delegates can be found on the project website: www.temper-euromed.org

For further information on the project, please visit the website or contact the project manager, Louise Doughty, at LJD1003@cam.ac.uk