ÇATALHÖYÜK 2004 ARCHIVE REPORT

CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS REPORTS

Human Remains

Başak Boz (Hacetepe University, Ankara) & Lori D. Hager

Abstract

The human remains team had several new members this field season. The two new directors of the human remains team, Clark Larsen and Simon Hillson, were able to visit the site for a short time. Throughout the season, graduate students Sally Graver, Scott Haddow, and Marin Pilloud were very helpful in the field and the laboratory. In addition, post-doctoral student Silvia Bello conducted research related to taphonomic questions on the human remains collected in previous years.

A total of 59 individuals were excavated this field season. Excavations in three areas of the East mound (4040, TP, South) yielded 27 late Roman/Byzantine inhumations, 30 Neolithic and 2 indeterminate ones. All the late burials were uncovered from excavations in the 4040 and TP Areas. The Neolithic burials were recovered from excavations in the 4040 and South Areas. Disturbance to the burials came from several factors, including animals, roots, erosion, and humans. Human disturbance was in the Neolithic in some instances, the late Roman/Byzantine times in others, and even more recently for other burials.

Özet

İnsan kemikleri kalıntıları ekibine bu sezon içinde birçok yeni ekip üyesi katılmıştır. İnsan kemikleri ekibinin yeni iki başkanı, Clark Larsen ve Simon Hillson, kazıyı bu sene yanlızca kısa bir süre ziyaret edebildiler. Mezun öğrencilerden Sally Graver, Scott Haddow, ve Marin Pilloud bütün sezon boyunca kazı alanında ve laboratuarda çok yardımcı oldular. Buna ek olarak, doktora öğrencisi Silvio Bello, daha önceki yıllarda çıkarılan insan kemikleri üzerine sorulan tafonomik sorularla ilgili bir araştırma projesi başlatmıştır.

Bu sezon toplam 59 tane bireye ait iskelet yer yüzüne çıkarılmıştır. Batı tepesinde, üç alanda (4040,TP, Güney) yapılan kazılarda 27 geç dönem; Roma/Bizans, 30 Neolitik ve 2 tane de dönemi belirlenemeyen insan gömüsüne rastlanmıştır. Bütün geç döneme ait gömüler 4040 ve TP alanlarındaki kazılarda ortaya çıkmıştır. Neolitik gömüler 4040 ve Güney Alanı kazılardan elde edilmiştir. Bütün bu gömülerin maruz kaldığı tahribat; hayvanlar, bitki kökleri, erozyon ve insan faktörleri yüzünden oluşmuştur. İnsan tarafından yapılan tahribat bazı durumlarda Neolitik dönemde, bazı durumlarda Roma/Bizans dönemlerinde, ve hatta yakın dönemlerde meydana gelmiştir.

Introduction

The late burials (Late Roman/Byzantine) were represented by four types of graves:
1-Simple soil graves
2-Tile lined graves
3-Mud-brick lined graves
4-Simple soil graves with diagonally placed mud-bricks as grave markers

Almost all of the late Roman/ Byzantine burials were dorsally extended, oriented east-west with the head pointing to the west with the feet to the east. Two adolescents were in their graves extended on their right side, not the back. Two others were slightly off the east-west orientation. Almost all of the graves contained iron coffin nails, coffin wood remains and in some cases wooden posts. Two graves were disturbed: one had no bones in it; the other had only a few scattered bones in it. These empty or nearly empty graves may be due to grave robbery although severe animal disturbance cannot be ruled out.

Grave goods were associated with six of the late burials. These included glass vessels, bone objects, a copper disk, stone objects, clay vessels, a copper earring, and a copper needle, and a small gold ornamental piece that may be an earring fragment.

A minimum of thirty individuals from the Neolithic were found in the 4040 and South Areas. Twenty-five of these were single primary inhumations. Five burial features had more than one individual in the feature in various degrees of disturbance.

The Neolithic burials were all in a flexed position with some variation on the degree and nature of the flexion. One male skeleton was found on his back with the legs flexed on the chest. In some cases, bodies found in less common positions were also associated with phytolith remains, suggesting that some of these bodies may have been buried in baskets.

The Neolithic graves revealed a richness of grave goods. Among the finds associated with the burial units this season are many stone, shell and bone beads. There are tools made of bone, flint and obsidian. One bone tool is a large bone hook which was found on the chest of an adult male. It is possible this tool was a clothes fastener. An adult female was found with a decorated boar tusk necklace. A large bird bone stained with red ochre was found in the chest region of an adult male.

A complete female figurine carved from marble was found in the lower levels of a house platform in the South Area. The figurine is approximately 10 cms high and stands upright with the arms curved to the breasts. The buttocks are large. There is an indentation on top of the head in what appears to be the hair. The figurine was found in re-deposited grave fill with a juvenile skeleton that had been disturbed and reburied. A partial adult skeleton was located in the burial pit below it.

A plastered skull was one of the most striking grave associations found this season. The plastered skull (11330) was found between the arms of aged adult female (11306) as if skull was being hugged (see Fig. 3). A more detailed description of the skull is given below, but the nature of the plastering indicates that the skull must have been used for display prior to burial. This plastered skull is the earliest example of its kind found in Anatolia so far. It will be important to examine other sites which have also produced plastered skulls in Anatolia and in Near East. The context of the skull strongly suggests the importance of this ancestral practice to the society.

Burial Descriptions

Each burial found in the 2004 field season is described below. The descriptions are grouped by the areas where they were found. Table 11 lists the numbers of late Roman/Byzantine and Neolithic individuals found in each area.

Table 11: Late Roman/Byzantine and Neolithic individuals found in each of the main excavation areas in the 2004 field season (=MNI)

4040 Area

A total of 30 burials were uncovered in the 4040 Area during this field season. The majority of these burials were late Roman/Byzantine burials; 21 are late burials, 7 are Neolithic, and 2 are indeterminate. They may be Neolithic.

Late Roman/Byzantine burials
F.1403 sk. (10003)
A well-defined simple soil grave with a head stone found on the western part of the grave. No bones were found in the grave.

F.1404 sk. (10006)
An older adult male skeleton buried in a simple soil grave. The body extended dorsally east to west, head to the west. The bones are well preserved. Remnants of coffin wood and nails were found throughout the fill. No grave goods were found within the grave.

F.1405 sk. (10009)
Scattered juvenile bones found within a well-defined grave. The burial was heavily disturbed. The body is represented by fragments of the skull, long bones, ribs, metacarpals, and tarsals. The bones were not found in situ.

F.1407 sk. (10019)
An adult male skeleton found in Building 45, Space 228. The grave was a simple soil grave. The body was dorsally extended with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The arms were alongside the body with the right hand under the right hip bone. The bones are in good condition although no facial bones are present. No grave goods were found associated with this individual.

F.1421 sk. (10068)
A mature adult male skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, with the head to the west. The skeleton is very badly preserved and many elements may have been lost due to taphonomic processes. This grave truncated an earlier grave (F.1422).

F.1422 sk. (10075)
Remains of an adult burial. The grave was truncated by a later burial (F.1421). Only the legs partially survived. The body would have been dorsally extended east to west with the head to the west. The bones are very fragmented due to its truncation and its close approximation to the surface.

F.1450 sk. (8852)
An adult male skeleton. This individual was found dorsally extended, head to the west, feet to the east in a tile lined grave. The basal boundary of the grave was lined with large square, simply decorated ceramic tiles. The bones are in good condition but the lower legs are missing. This is probably due to erosion. A copper needle was found in the right chest area.

F.1451 sk. (8857)
An adult male, partial skeleton. This individual was found in the midden of Space 226. The body was dorsally extended with the head pointing slightly to the northwest. The right arm was alongside the body and the left arm was slightly bent at the elbow, crossed over the pelvis. Most of the bones below the pelvis are missing. No associated grave goods were found.

F.1452 sk. (8879)
A young adult male skeleton. The body was found underneath a mud-brick grave floor, suggestive of a “false bottom” grave. The body was extended dorsally, east to west with the head to the west. Some elements of the body were displaced due to animal activity. The bones are in poor condition. Coffin nails and wood traces were evident. A whitish residue, possibly salt from the roots underneath the body, was noted. No grave goods were found with the burial.

F.1455 sk. (8885)
An old adult male skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, the head to the west. A mud-brick was placed on the western part of the grave. Some of the feet bones were missing due to animal disturbance. The bones are fragmented. Coffin nails and some traces of coffin wood were encountered in the grave. No grave goods were found with the burial.

F.1456 sk. (8890)
A young adult male skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, the head to the west. Extensive root and rodent damage could be seen on the bones. The arm bones were almost completely destroyed, with the hands and feet missing entirely. No grave goods were found with the burial.

F.1550 sk. (10207)
A 5-6 year old child skeleton. The body was extended dorsally with the head to the west. The feet bones were missing due to animal disturbance. Several coffin nails were found within the grave. A large amount of coffin wood was found at the western side of the coffin. This area of the grave was clearly defined while the area nearer to the feet was poorly defined. No grave goods were associated with this burial.

F.1551 sk. (10217)
An adult female skeleton. The body was dorsally extended with the head to the west, feet to the east. Coffin nails and well-preserved coffin wood were present. The bones are in poor to fair condition. Root and animal disturbance was extensive. No grave goods were found.

F.1552 sk. (10230)
An adult female skeleton. The body was dorsally extended, east to west with the head to the west. Some of the skeletal elements were missing while others were displaced by rodent activities. The bones generally are in good condition. A ceramic vessel, a glass bottle and a wooden spindle were found near the feet in the southeast corner of the grave. A copper ring was found in a nearby animal burrow. Wooden posts and a large amount of coffin remains were also found as part of the grave.

F.1553 sk. (10225)
A juvenile skeleton found in a well-formed tile lined grave (see Fig. 26). The 10-12 year old was placed into a grave that had first been lined on the bottom and the sides with Roman roof tiles. The tile at the head was an upright roof tile; the tile at the foot was mud-brick. The body was dorsally extended with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The head was on its left side. The arms were found along the sides of the body. The right hand was on top of the right hip bone. The left leg was bent slightly at the knee. The condition of the bones is poor. No grave goods were found within the grave.

F.1557 sk. (10255)
A 7-9 year old juvenile skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west with the head to the west. The bones are in poor condition due to its close approximation to the surface, rodent activities and extensive root disturbance. A small clay pot was found at the southern corner of the grave. A copper earring was also found near the left ear.

F.1600 sk. (10705)
A 2-3 yrs old juvenile skeleton. The body was dorsally extended in a simple soil grave. The head was to the west and the feet to the east. The condition of the bones is poor. No grave goods were found.

F.1601 sk. (10710)
An adult male skeleton. Dorsally extended with the head to the west, the body was in a simple soil grave. The head was on the right side, facing north. The arms are alongside the body with the left hand under the left hip bone. The condition of the bones is poor. The legs had been disturbed during the excavation of a Neolithic wall between Spaces 229/230. No grave goods were found with this individual.

F.1603 sk. (10715)
An adult female skeleton. This individual was buried in a grave that cut through a double Neolithic wall between Spaces 100 and 229 (see Fig 21). The body was dorsally extended with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The arms were alongside the body with the left hand on top of the left hip bone. A gold jewelry piece was found within the left hand. Grave goods are associated with this individual include a metal disk which was recovered from above the head. A glass vase, carved stone rectangle, and collection of nails were found around the feet. The bones are in fair condition although the legs are in poor condition.

F.1610 sk. (10741)
An older female skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, head to the west. The arms were extended on the side although the left lower arm was missing post-mortem. The legs were flexed at the hip towards the right side. Extensive animal and root disturbance with a close approximation to the surface resulted in severe disturbance and damage to the bones. A glass jar had been placed in the north corner of the coffin. A metal plate and many iron nails were found within the burial fill.

F.1650 sk. (7979)
A 2-3 year old juvenile skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, with the head to the west. The burial was disturbed extensively by animal activities. Some of the upper body elements were displaced and some were missing. The bones are in surprisingly good condition. A button-like bone disk and a long ribbed glass object were found by the feet. The rim of a jar was located near the head with glass pieces possibly belong to the same jar found at the northern corner of the grave.

F.1750 sk. (11004)
An adult female skeleton. The body was dorsally extended with the head to the southwest and the feet to the northeast. The grave was of simple soil. The lower legs were heavily disturbed by root and rodent activities. The bones of the upper body are in good condition. No grave goods were found.

Neolithic Burials

Space 227
F. 1570 Sk. (10267) (no feature number)
An infant of 18 months-2 years found in Space 227 (see Fig. 33). The body was placed under or next to the northern wall of Space 227 near the northeast platform. There was not a burial cut. The body was flexed on its right side, facing north. The head was located towards the east with the feet to the west. The right arm was straight and extended alongside the body. The left arm was bent 90 degrees at the elbow so that the lower arm crossed the chest. The right leg was bent at the knee and drawn to the chest. The left femur was forced backwards so that it was extended along the left side of the body. The lower leg was bent at a 90 degrees angle so that the legs crossed the chest just below the left lower arm. This unusual position of the leg suggests that force was applied to the leg to put it in this position. This may have caused dislocation of the hip. The bones are in good condition.

Sk. (10258) ( no feature number)
Two adult femurs, probably belonging to the same individual, were found in the infill of Space 227. These bones were found along with many animal bones which have initially been interpreted as a possible feasting area. There were no other human bones within this cluster. Many bone tools, a marble female figurine, and several obsidian tools were found within the same space.

Space 228 (Building 45)
F.1412 sk. (10033)
A partial infant skeleton. A cranium and a few ribs were recovered near the western wall of Space 228 of an 18 month-2 year old infant. The burial appeared disturbed and no burial cut was evident. Numerous phytoliths were located around and near the bones. The association of the phytoliths to the bones is not clear at this time.

Space 238 (Building 45)
F.1431 sk. (10112)
A neonate burial found under a mudbrick, possibly placed as a marker (Farid pers. Comm.), against the southern wall of Space 238 in Building 45 (see Fig. 40). The body was tightly flexed, lying on its right side and facing south. The left leg was on the body, bent under the chin at a 90 degree angle. The right leg extended upwards towards the head. The lower leg was parallel to the head and the foot was missing. The right arm was underneath the torso, bent near the mandible, with the lower arm and hand at the forehead. Preservation of the bones is very good with most of the bony elements present.

F.1430 sk. (10109)
A perinatal (fetus) burial (see Fig. 41). It was buried in a cut through the floor of unit (10106). The body was tightly flexed at the hips, lying on its right side. It was oriented south to east with the head to the south, facing west. The right upper arm was across the body, the lower arm bones were on the pelvis and the hand bones were just below the skull. The arm position suggests that the arm was originally bent at the elbow towards the head and the lower arm bones displaced by animal activity. The left upper arm was missing. The left lower arm bones were under the left leg. Both legs were stretched upwards towards the head. The lower left leg was slightly displaced. The hands and feet are missing. The position of the body and the presence of a small amount of phytoliths encountered behind the head suggests this individual may have been buried in a basket, on a mat, or tied with a rope before burial. No grave goods were associated with this burial.

Space 245
F.1439 sk. (10130) and sk. (10148)
Burial feature F.1439 had the skeletal remains of two infants sk. (10130) and sk.(10148). One infant burial sk (10130) had been placed in the east area of Space 245. The bones were disturbed by roots, animal burrowing and erosion. The bones were also located close to the surface. The burial position suggests that the infant skeleton was lying on its right side, facing north. Only a few small pieces of the skull survived. The right arm was scattered and the hand was missing. The left arm was completely missing. The legs were flexed at the knees; only one foot survived.

As the area around sk. (10130) was being cleaned to better define the burial cut, additional infant bones were recovered that were originally believed to be the part of sk (10130). However, it was clear during the laboratory inventory that these additional bones were in fact from another infant burial sk (10148). This burial seemed to be disturbed by later burial of sk.10130. There was no surviving burial cut from earlier times.

Space 246
F.1440 sk. (10133)
A neonate skeleton found during the cleaning of Space 246. The skeleton was disturbed by erosion due to it being located close to the surface therefore the position of the skeleton was difficult to interpret. It is possible that it was lying on its left side, oriented east to west. The left arm was flexed. The right arm was missing. The legs were flexed. Root and rodent disturbance was extensive. A blue turquoise bead was found near the head.

During the lab inventory, duplication of some of the skeletal elements was noted, including elements of the mandible and the upper and lower dentitions. This second partial skeleton is represented by skull fragments, fragments of the mandible, upper and lower dentitions, and the right humerus. The uncertainty of the positions of these two burials makes it difficult to date. However, burial position is more suggestive of a Neolithic burial than a late one.

TP Area

The excavations in the TP Area during this field season resulted in the discovery of 6 late Roman/Byzantine burials and 2 possibly Neolithic ones.

Late Roman/Byzantine Burials
F. 955 sk. (10948 )
A 6-7 year old child burial. The upper body was extended, slightly twisted to the right, oriented east to west, head to the west, facing south-east. The grave contained three mud-bricks as grave markers. Only the upper part of the body was excavated this year. The lower part of the body was excavated in 2002 as a part of the main trench. Some of the bones from the arms, hands and feet were displaced or missing due to animal disturbance. The bones are very well preserved.

F. 1171 sk. (8983)
An older male adult. This individual was in a clearly marked soil grave overlaid by a series of horizontally placed mud-bricks with diagonally stacked ones on top of them. These bricks appeared to be grave markers. The body was dorsally extended with the head to the west and the feet to the east. The arms were alongside the body with the left hand on the left thigh. The bones are in good condition. This was a large individual whose bones are indicative of a long life. No grave goods were found with this burial.

F. 1173 sk. (10937)
An adult female skeleton. In a fashion similar to sk. (8983), sk. (10937) was also in a clearly marked soil grave overlaid by a series of horizontally placed mud-bricks with diagonally stacked ones on top of them. The body was dorsally extended east to west, with head to the west. Some of the hand and feet bones are missing due to animal disturbance. Although the bones are intact, the surfaces are cracked due to the dampness followed by rapid drying.

F. 1179 sk. (8989)
A partial juvenile skeleton. Only the partial upper body of this individual was present. An age of ~15 years is determined for this individual. No grave goods were found with this burial.

F. 1179 sk. (8988)
An isolated femur. This bone was found near Sk. (8989) and may be the same individual.

F. 1182 sk. (10941)
A juvenile skeleton. This 8-9 year old child was extended, lying slightly on its right side. The left arm crossed the chest with the hands touching. The legs were also slightly bent towards the right side. The head was to the west and the feet to the east. The condition of the bones is good. The grave was of simple soil lined with mud-bricks around the grave. No grave goods were found with this individual.

F. 1184 sk. (11524)
9 months to 1 year old juvenile skeleton. The body was extended dorsally east to west, head to the west and facing south. A narrow mud-brick wall was placed to the north of the grave as a grave marker. The leg bones and feet were disturbed during the excavation of the area. Most of the bones show severe periostitis as a result of a long term infection.

Indeterminate Burials

F. 1177 sk. (8954)
Adult and juvenile disarticulated bones. Bones from an adult and a juvenile were recovered in the pit next to grave F.1171 (Late Roman/Byzantine). The adult and juvenile were disturbed during the cut of F.1171. The date of these bones is not clear. They could be late Roman/Byzantine burials which were earlier than F.1171 or they could be Neolithic.

South Area

Four main areas in the south were excavated during the 2004 field season: Buildings 42, 43, and 44 and Space 112. Neolithic burial features were discovered in all four of these areas. All of these Neolithic burials were found within the context of a house; most were found in burial cuts made through the plastered floors. Fourteen burial features were uncovered. These features included the remains of a minimum of 21 individuals, 3 of which are still in ground.

Building 42
The building was incomplete in its northern section due to erosion in this area and because this house was partially excavated by Mellaart in the 1960s. Skeletal remains of adults and juveniles were found in this building. Several individuals had been buried in the floors of the east and northeast platforms. Others were found in areas where the house was eroding away. Some of the burials were found in the lowest levels of the house; some were found in midden under the last floor the Building 42. Some fantastic grave goods were found in the various areas of this house.

F. 1500 sk. (10400)
A neonate skeleton. This infant skeleton was found eroding from the north section of Building 42. The position of the body was indeterminate given the past erosion of the original grave and due to the fact that many skeletal elements were missing. Twelve to 14 shell ornaments with 2 perforations each were found in direct association with the bones. These ornaments may have been strung. The bones are in good condition.

F. 1511 sk. (10449)
A 3-6 month old infant skeleton was buried under the northeast platform of Building 42. The body was lying on its back, the head on its left, facing north. The arms were on the sides, the legs were drawn up to the abdomen. The burial was located on an eroded edge of the building; therefore some of the skeletal elements were missing due to erosion. The bones are in poor condition. Two hematite beads were found under the skull.

F.1512 sk. (10476)
A disturbed juvenile skeleton. Several bones of a single juvenile aged 4-5 years were found scattered within the lower levels of the east platform of Building 42, Space 202. The burial was clearly disturbed. The skeleton continued to be dispersed throughout the burial pit until an adult partial skeleton was found under it Sk. (10499). A beautifully carved marble female figurine was found with the upper layer of the juvenile bones. Given the secondary context of the juvenile bones, it is as yet unclear if the figurine was originally in direct association with the juvenile, or if the figurine was simply deposited later as part of the grave fill when sk (10476) was disturbed and reburied, and was therefore only indirectly associated.

F.1513 sk. (10495)
Primary burial of 3-6 month old infant buried under the northeast platform of Building 42. The skull and a few bones from the upper body were the only remains recovered of this infant. These bones suggest that the body was lying on its left side, facing north. The position of the rest of the body was unclear. The grave was badly disturbed by animal burrows, especially to the east where the cut was almost completely destroyed. The bones are in very poor condition.

F.1515 sk. (10499)
A partial adult male skeleton. Found at the midden level of the east platform of Building 42, Space 202. This adult skeleton consisted of various articulated parts of the body. These articulated body parts represented a partial skeleton. The bones were only present in the eastern half of the burial pit and appeared to have been placed into the burial pit rather than randomly scattered in it. The skeleton was represented by the following: an articulated pelvis; a 5th lumbar vertebra in articulation with the first sacral vertebra of the pelvis; a partially articulated right hand lying on top of the right hipbone; a left lower arm with the wrist and hand in articulation; and a right and left foot, both articulated. Additional bones of this same adult were found in the fill in the above levels, including the right and left patellae and cervical vertebrae. These loose bones of sk. (10499) were mixed in the grave fill with sk.(10476). Three flint stone tools and 3 bone tools were found near the pelvis of sk.(10499). Much work still needs to be done to understand what has occurred in this platform.

F.1516 sk. (10498)
Primary inhumation of 3-6 months old infant buried under the northeast platform in Building 42. The body was lying on its back with the head on its left side, facing north. The arms were alongside the body, the legs were bent 90 degrees at the hip and at the knee. The hand and feet bones were lost due to heavy rodent disturbance. The body was lying almost directly on sk.11306 which may indicate a close temporal association of these two burials. A small hematite bead was found near the head. The bones are fragmented and in poor condition.

F.1517 sk. (11306)
A primary burial of an adult female skeleton buried under the northeast platform of Building 42. The body was in a flexed position, oriented west to east, lying on its left side and facing east. The right arm was bent 45 degrees at the elbow with the right hand by the head. The left arm was also bent at the elbow, crossing the chest towards the right arm and almost holding it. The left hand was displaced under the right arm, most probably due to rodent activities. Both legs were bent tightly at the knees and drawn up to the chest. The feet were together at the northeast part of the cut. An extensive animal burrow damaged the upper part of the skeleton. The bones are generally very friable and in poor condition.

Found in front of the chest region of sk.(11306) was a plastered human skull and lower jaw sk. (11330). The arms of sk. (11306) were crossed in front of the chest such that the plastered skull sk. (11330) appeared to be wrapped between the arms of sk. (11306).

Several additional grave goods were associated with sk. (11306), including different types of beads that may have belonged on a necklace. Two beads are made of large fish vertebrae, one is a turquoise bead, and one is a shell bead fragment. Another bead fragment, possibly of plaster, was found in the chest area of the skeleton.

Sk. (11306) is also associated with another burial (F.1516) which contained an infant of 3-6 months. The close in situ approximation of these two burials suggests that they may have shared the same burial cut and therefore may have been buried at the same time.

Plastered skull. Unit (11330)
This skull and lower jaw was plastered from its forehead to its chin (see Fig. 11). The soft, white plaster on skull (11330) extends from the forehead to the chin and is painted with red pigment. The eye sockets are filled in with plaster. The layers of plaster and the red paint on the right eye socket suggest that the plastering and painting took place several times. Only the right eye socket displays these several layers of plaster and red paint. These layers may represent the repair of damaged areas. The nose is shaped in plaster and painted in red. The lower jaw is plastered approximately mid-way from its lower aspect to the top. The plaster thickens towards the top and is modeled like a stage for the cranium to rest on it. Re-plastering and painting the parts of the skull suggests that the skull may have been on display prior to being buried.

The skull has been consolidated within a wooden box and was lifted in its matrix before its transfer to the Konya Archaeological Museum for display.

Building 43
F. 1859 sk. (10527)
A foetus (~7 months in utero) was found in the floor of west platform F.1863 in Building 43. Remnants of phytoliths around the skeleton and the shape of the cut suggest that the individual had been placed in a basket. The condition of the bones was poor, partly due to the close proximity of the burial to the floor surface. No grave goods were found with this individual.

F. 1860 sk. (10529)
An 10-12 years old adolescent skeleton (see Fig 54). Buried in the floor of west platform F.1863 in Building 43. The head was oriented to the east and the feet to the west, lying almost on its front. The body was tightly flexed at the chin, elbows, hips, and knees. The arms were under the head and the legs were tightly drawn to the chest. The condition of the bones is good. Several beads of 4 different types were found around the skeleton. Over a hundred beads were found together in the neck region. Red ochre was placed by the skeleton as a small lump. Yellow and brown organic residues were found in direct association with the burial.

Building 44
The east platform of Building 44 showed evidence of several burial pits, some of which cut into each other. The excavation of these cuts revealed many disarticulated and scattered bones. These bones are given fill numbers and each number contained more than one individual. Additional work in this building in the following field seasons will help clarify the burials in this platform.
(10691)- The fill within the cut (11217), contained scattered bones of 3 individuals. The bones represent 2 adults and one juvenile.

(11496)- The lower fill of cut of (11217), contains 2 skulls (11493) and (11494), and an articulated lower body of another individual. The orientation of these bones suggests that these skeletons may have been the result of different burial events. Therefore, in order to better understand the burial sequences and cuts, the bones were left in the ground for more detailed excavation during the following field season.

(11409)- bones of an adult and a juvenile

(11254)- bones of 3 individuals, an adult and 2 juveniles. One juvenile was about 3-4 years old and the other 9 months to 1 year old. These individuals were represented by some teeth and some post-cranial bones.

(11495), (11496), (11296), (11415) and (11416) are the other related unit numbers that contained scattered bones. Further investigation is needed to sort out these bones. They may show some kind of relationship given the close proximity of these units to one another.

F.1334 sk. (11403)
An infant burial found under the platform F. 1314 in Building 44. The burial was badly disturbed, therefore only a few bones were recovered. Some of the bones were found in nearby animal burrows. The orientation and the position of the burial were unclear.

Space 112
Excavation in this space revealed the skeletal remains of 4 adults. The individuals were found in close proximity to each other. Sk.(10840) is the oldest of the 4 burials found in Space 112 this season and was the first person interred in this area. Sk. (10840) does not appear to have been disturbed during the later burial events that took place near it. Of the 3 later skeletons sk. (10813), sk. (10814), and sk. (10829) found in this space, sk.(10813) was the last one to be buried; both sk. (10829) and sk.( 10814) were disturbed by this later burial. Sk. (10814) was an earlier burial than sk. (10829). Decomposition of the soft tissues was advanced but not complete in sk. (10814) because some body parts were still in articulation.

F.1702 sk. (10840)
An adult male skeleton. In a tightly flexed position, the body was oriented with the head to the west (see Fig. 56). The body was lying on its right side. The head was badly crushed while the rest of the skeleton was in good condition and articulated. The right arm was bent at the elbow. The lower right arm crossed the abdomen and the right hand was resting on the lower spine. The left arm was more acutely bent at the elbow with the lower left arm and left hand resting on the chest. The knees were drawn to the chest. The feet were together. An articulated sheep skeleton was found to the north of sk.(10840) at nearly the same level, possibly within the same burial cut as sk.(10840). A large flint blade was located near the left shoulder. A long bone of a large bird was found in the chest region and it was stained with red ochre. In fact, red ochre was found throughout the burial pit. An organic brown residue was found in the upper thoracic region.

F.1709 sk. (10813)
An adult male skeleton (see Fig 59). The body was on its back in a tightly flexed position. The arms were drawn up to the right shoulder with the hands possibly clasped together. The knees were drawn to the chest; both legs leaned slightly to the right side. The left foot lies on top of the right foot. The bones are in good condition. A spectacular bone hook tool was found in the chest region which had a perforation on the handle. Several flints (5) and other bone tools were found in association with this individual. Sk. (10813) was found under the floor in close proximity to sk. (10829) and it represents the latest burial event in this sequence.

F.1710 sk. (10829)
An adult female skeleton. The body was on its right side in a tightly flexed position. The head was pointing to the south. The knees were drawn to the chest. The bones are in fair to poor condition. A boar tusk necklace was found in the neck region as were several different kinds of beads. An incised bone was also found in association with this individual. The skeleton is in close approximation with sk. (10813) and appears to have been partially disturbed for the burial of sk.(10813).

F.1711 sk. (10814) =sk. (10834)
An adult female skeleton. This individual was disturbed for the burial of the later individual sk.(10813). It was probably disturbed later again by activities related to a post-retrieval pit. The head of the female had been displaced and was located in a post-retrieval pit adjacent to the rest of the skeleton. The body was scattered with only a few elements in articulation. Originally, the body was probably flexed at the hips and knees. The bones are in fair condition. No grave goods were found in direct association with this disturbed burial.