Investigating traces of activities, diet and seasonality in middens at Neolithic catalhoyuk : An integration of microstratigraphic, phytolith and chemical analyses
This research examines formation processes of middens and the associated activities at the site of Catalh6yuk, Turkey. Using this site as a case study, this research has wider significance for understanding the Neolithic of the region and for the study of middens in general. Middens are a unique deposit in that they contain traces of activities that may not be found in cleaner contexts such as floors, and contain materials such as ash, animal dung, phytoliths and coprolites which can inform on plant resource use, diet and subsistence strategies at a high temporal resolution. In this research thin section micromorphology is used, combined with phytolith analysis of individual layers, to examine both the composition and associations of finely stratified midden deposits in situ. Additional analyses of mineral components using FT-IR and SEM-EDX has been carried out, along with biomolecular analysis of organic residues in coprolites by GC-MS, to further characterise material that is difficult to analyse by thin section alone. This integrated analysis contributes to the understanding of midden formation processes and activities, as well as environment, agriculture, plant resource use, diet and fuel use. This analysis
Shillito, Lisa -Marie
Investigating traces of activities, diet and seasonality in middens at Neolithic catalhoyuk : An integration of microstratigraphic, phytolith and chemical analyses. This research examines formation processes of middens and the associated activities at the site of Catalh6yuk, Turkey. Using this site as a case study, this research has wider significance for understanding the Neolithic of the region and for the study of middens in general. Middens are a unique deposit in that they contain traces of activities that may not be found in cleaner contexts such as floors, and contain materials such as ash, animal dung, phytoliths and coprolites which can inform on plant resource use, diet and subsistence strategies at a high temporal resolution. In this research thin section micromorphology is used, combined with phytolith analysis of individual layers, to examine both the composition and associations of finely stratified midden deposits in situ. Additional analyses of mineral components using FT-IR and SEM-EDX has been carried out, along with biomolecular analysis of organic residues in coprolites by GC-MS, to further characterise material that is difficult to analyse by thin section alone. This integrated analysis contributes to the understanding of midden formation processes and activities, as well as environment, agriculture, plant resource use, diet and fuel use. This analysis
investigating trace_activity diet seasonality midden neolithic catalhoyuk integration phytolith chemical_analysis examines formation process midden associated activity site turkey using site case_study wide significance neolithic region study general unique deposit contain trace_activity may find clean context floor contain material ash animal dung phytoliths inform plant resource use diet subsistence_strategy high temporal resolution thin_section micromorphology use combine phytolith analysis individual layer examine composition association finely stratify midden deposit situ additional analysis mineral component use sem carry along biomolecular analysis organic_residue characterise material difficult analyse thin_section alone integrate analysis contributes midden formation_process activity well environment agriculture plant resource use diet fuel use analysis