ÇATALHÖYÜK 2004 ARCHIVE REPORT

Excavations of the South Area

Building 42

Gareth Chaffey, Simon McCann

Wessex Arcaeology

Çatal core Team
Assisted by : Peter Connelly

Abstract

Left as an island since James Mellaarts excavations of the 1960s, work began on what was to be called Building 42 on the southern side of the South Shelter on 29th June 2004. Although some excavation had taken place directly to the south of this area in 2002 (Farid 2002), for the foundations of the South Area shelter construction, this area has remained untouched.

Building 42 is only partially represented in the area of excavation, it extends south beyond the shelter, it is heavily eroded to the west whilst the northern and eastern limits of the building have collapsed and eroded since first exposed in the 1960s. The features excavated this season were in a beautiful state of preservation, from north to south, along the eastern wall were two plastered platforms F.1501 and F.1502, and a bench F.1503. Associated floor and packing deposits lay to the west of these features.

Two of the seasons most notable finds were found in this building. The small limestone figure (see Fig 1) found in redeposited midden material in a grave. The second was the painted plastered skull held in the arms of a complete skeleton (see Fig 3).

Currently this building is attributed to Level V.

Özet

1960'da James Mellart'ın yapmış olduğu kazılarda bir ada halinde bırakılan “Güney Çadırı” alanının güneyinde bulunan ve Bina 42 olarak adlandırılan alanda kazı çalışmaları 29 Haziran 2004 tarihinde başlamıştır. 2001 yılında Güney Çadırının temel kazısı çalışmaları sırasında bu alanın güney kısmı kazılmış olmasına rağmen (Farid, Arşiv Raporu 2001) söz konusu bu alana hiç dokunulmamıştır.

Kazı alanında, Bina 42, yanlızca, kısmen ortada olup, güney kısmı çadırın ötesine geçmektedir; batı kısmı cok fazla aşınmış olup, doğu ve kuzey bölümleri ise 1960'da ilk ortaya çıkarılışından bu yana çökmüş ve tahribata uğramıştır. Bu alanda ortaya çıkarılan yapı kuzeyden güneye doğru: iki sıvalanmış platform; F.1501 ve F.1502 ve bir seki F.1503, çok iyi bir şekilde korunmuşlardır. İlişkin tabanlar ve dolgu tabakaları bu öğelerin batısında yer almaktadırlar.

Bu binada iki önemli buluntu ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunlardan birisi, boyutu ve çıplak temsili ile Mellaart'ın bulduğu, klasik, kireç taşından yapılmış kadın figürinlerinden biridir. Bu figürin, bir mezarın içindeki dolgu toprağın içinde bulunmuştur. İkincisi ise, bütün bir iskeletin kolları arasında sarınmış bir şekilde bulunan, sıvanmış ve boyanmış bir kafatasıdır.

Şu anda bu bina Seviye 5'dedir.

The Building Plan

These architectural features showed characteristics not seen since the 1960s. For instance, central to the southern edge of F.1501 was a rectangular cut approx. 0.2m x 0.1m which has been interpreted as niche or pillar cut. Another similar cut was found central to the eastern edge of F.1502. In direct relation to Mellaart excavations, these may have been some form of support for plastered pillars used to support bucrania. Upon the surface of platform F.1502 were several pieces of discarded plaster, which were initially linked to the niches although upon excavation are more likely to be associated with the plastered bench F.1503, a basin F.1505 was also observed as a cut feature into platform F.1502. The whole of this area was covered with a high quality, organic rich white plaster. Platform F1501 had 3 phases of plastering, and F1502, 4. This suggests that the central platform was raised independently of the other at some point (Figs 50 & 51).

Figure 50: Plan of Building 42

 

After the removal of the uppermost plaster surface (Fig 51), a grave cut F.1512 was seen within platform F.1501. Although heavily eroded to the north, it contained a poorly preserved infant burial. Beneath the burial a shell was found, as were two haematite beads below the skull. This grave is of interest as it shows a different process and method in burial that directly links mortuary practice and the replastering process. The grave was cut into the make up layer between two plaster surfaces. Generally burials relating to platforms are cut into the plaster and then replastered. Does this represent a change in burial methodology higher in the sequence of buildings?

Within platform F.1502 two grave cuts were observed and subsequently excavated. Disarticulated bone was found throughout the redeposited midden-like fill of the later cut, with a representation of both adult and juvenile human remains. Amongst this disarticulation was a marble figurine, discarded/deposited within the backfill of grave F.1515 (Fig 52). It has to be stressed that the figurine was found in redeposited fill which could well have been dug-up from the underlying midden that this building is founded on. That however, does not rule out the possibility that the figurine may have originated from a burial context, if so, it would be a first occurrence at the site. This feature cut an earlier grave F.1512, within which were found the partly articulated remains of an adult male. The grave had been heavily truncated by the later cut, but an obsidian and bone tool cache were recovered associated with the individual located to the south of his pelvic bones. This comprised of a long prismatic obsidian blade, a long light brown limnoquartitie flint end scraper on prismatic blade, a large obsidian side scraper (all found in an upstanding fan formation) and three antler pressure flaking tools. Several beads of various size, shape and material were found scattered amongst the fills of both graves.

Figure 52:Views of figurine 10475.x2. For scale see Fig 1

 

Within the north-east platform three burials were recovered. A neonate was found within a cut F.1516 made into the initial plaster phase. This was badly affected by animal burrowing and only a poorly preserved cranium survived. Beneath this plaster surface were two individuals within the same grave F.1517, cut into midden deposits suggesting a pre-construction phase of burial. Within this significant grave a neonate was found just a few centimetres above a well preserved adult female. This female, tightly flexed on her left side, was found to be holding a plastered and painted skull (see Fig 3). Placed between the arms of the female, the skull faces the chest, clutched tightly into the body. This skull was lifted by the conservation team for further excavation and preservation. This suggests that Building 42 was actually ‘placed'/situated in this precise location, the burial acting as a direct focal point from which to construct. Building upon a midden may not have been the ideal location for a solid foundation (and excavation showed that it certainly caused problems), but the importance of this person seems to have outweighed the physical difficulties and potential structural problems.

Upon the removal of the last plaster surface the construction processes of the building were revealed. This allowed an interesting insight into the layout and assembly of the houses. The surface was prepared with a covering of midden to level that area onto which the building was to be built and at this point the structural walls were constructed. Due to the heavy levels of truncation and erosion only F.826, the eastern wall of Building 42 exists to this day, but we can see here a unique aspect of the construction phase of the walls due to the presence of a foundation trench, cut into the midden below.

The surface was then covered in its entirety with a general packing layer. Mud bricks were then arranged across this surface (F1519) to organise and decide on the layout of the building, and architectural features such as the bench and the platforms were decided at this point. This has allowed a very human insight into the construction of a house at Çatalhöyük. You can almost see the thinking processes and hear the conversations as the layout was decided. Upon excavation onto this level, we can see that there were actually five separate types of mud brick used during this phase, with some plastered on one side. This shows the level of recycling that took place. The platforms and bench were then constructed around these bricks. The benches construction showed similar aspects to the layout phase with mismatched bricks and packing/bonding to fill gaps. The whole area received a covering of make up material before a plaster layer was applied which was tweaked to leave a high quality finish and appearance.

Two hearths were also excavated F.1507 superseding F.1520. These lay in the south west part of the building, along with the oven discovered during excavations in 2002. The hearths appear to have been marked at their end life by a pit F.1506 which contained an obsidian point.

Building 42 shows many features similar to those in many other buildings at Çatal, but also displays diversity in construction, function and use. On the one hand there are domestic features such as the hearths and oven, situated within the ‘dirty' space towards the south of the building. However the focus of the building appears to have been on the eastern side with the platforms and bench, and these features were laid out in the initial stages and appears to have been planned and part of an intended design to develop a house not so much for living in, but for a more ‘ritual' purpose.

The platforms appear to have been a centre for ‘ritual' activity, with five separate burials located here, with all but one cutting through the make-up layers, not the plastered surfaces. Only three or four phases are seen throughout the life of this building (compared to over 50 in other buildings) suggesting an unworn and unused space, and therefore a special or different area for certain activities.

Building 42 appears to be a special house, suggested particularly by its special burials and important finds, as well as its high quality plaster surfacing of platforms and bench, and the suggestion of ritual adornment within this space. Throughout the life of this house these zones stay constant, with the continuation of focal and ritual, clean and dirty areas.