Living with clay : materials, technology, resources and landscape at ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk
The Central Anatolian Neolithic tell site of ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk has been extensively studied as an unusually well preserved example of an early agricultural settlement. Located on a vast clay plain and occupied continuously for almost 1200 years (7100-5950 cal BC), its large size and artistically rich clay-based material culture point to clay being a major contributor to the communityâs subsistence and symbolic needs. However, the prevailing interpretation of the clay-rich landscape appears to contradict this view. Thick impermeable clay beds underlying the areas are thought to have impeded the drainage of seasonal floods, periodically isolating the community in extensive wetlands and forcing a reliance on twelve kilometre distant cereal growing. There is an unresolved tension between the material culture and landscape view of what clay truly afforded ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk. The aim of this thesis is to establish the full role of clay in ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒkâs success, and is first tasked with resolving this tension. The approach taken differs from the top-down single group artifact studies and from landscape models that offer a regional explanation but disregard local actualities. Recognising that clay material culture and
Doherty, Christopher John
Living with clay : materials, technology, resources and landscape at ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk. The Central Anatolian Neolithic tell site of ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk has been extensively studied as an unusually well preserved example of an early agricultural settlement. Located on a vast clay plain and occupied continuously for almost 1200 years (7100-5950 cal BC), its large size and artistically rich clay-based material culture point to clay being a major contributor to the communityâs subsistence and symbolic needs. However, the prevailing interpretation of the clay-rich landscape appears to contradict this view. Thick impermeable clay beds underlying the areas are thought to have impeded the drainage of seasonal floods, periodically isolating the community in extensive wetlands and forcing a reliance on twelve kilometre distant cereal growing. There is an unresolved tension between the material culture and landscape view of what clay truly afforded ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒk. The aim of this thesis is to establish the full role of clay in ĂatalhĂ¶yĂŒkâs success, and is first tasked with resolving this tension. The approach taken differs from the top-down single group artifact studies and from landscape models that offer a regional explanation but disregard local actualities. Recognising that clay material culture and
living clay material technology resource landscape aatalhapyaoek central_anatolian neolithic tell site aatalhapyaoek extensively study unusually well_preserved example early agricultural settlement located vast clay plain occupy continuously cal large_size artistically rich clay based material_culture point clay major contributor community subsistence symbolic need however prevail interpretation clay rich landscape appear contradict view thick clay bed underlie area think drainage seasonal flood periodically isolate community extensive wetland force reliance twelve distant cereal growing unresolved tension material_culture landscape view clay truly aatalhapyaoek aim_establish full_role clay aatalhapyaoek success first task resolve_tension take differs top_down single group artifact study landscape model offer regional explanation disregard local actuality recognising clay material_culture