An archaeobotanical investigation into the Chalcolithic economy and social organisation of central Anatolia
Limited knowledge about the 3000-year period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in central Anatolia, Turkey, prevents any understanding of change or continuity in crop production, consumption and crop husbandry techniques. This research aims to address this bias through the examination of archaeobotanical remains from the four central Anatolian Chalcolithic sites of CÌ§atalhoÌyuÌk West, CÌ§amlÄ±bel TarlasÄ±, Canhasan I and KurucÌ§ay and the consequent investigation of their crop economies. This work draws on multiple methods and techniques to understand the plant-related activities that occurred at the sites. The four chosen sites bookend the Chalcolithic period (c. 6000-3000 cal BC) and provide the opportunity for exploring the interrelationship between crop choice, crop husbandry, settlement size, surrounding environment and social organisation. Differences in crop species such as hulled barley, glume wheats and pulses, particularly lentil and bitter vetch occur at all four sites with species choice community specific. Multiple methods are used to disentangle the depositional processes, such as dung burning, that formed the assemblages, providing an indication of the origin of the archaeobotanical
Stroud, Elizabeth
Agriculture ; Archaeobotany ; Archaeology ; Economy ; Chalcolithic ; isotopes ; Agricultural production ; Crop processing ; Crop husbandry ; Consumption ; Canhasan I ; Weed Flora
An archaeobotanical investigation into the Chalcolithic economy and social organisation of central Anatolia. Limited knowledge about the 3000-year period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in central Anatolia, Turkey, prevents any understanding of change or continuity in crop production, consumption and crop husbandry techniques. This research aims to address this bias through the examination of archaeobotanical remains from the four central Anatolian Chalcolithic sites of CÌ§atalhoÌyuÌk West, CÌ§amlÄ±bel TarlasÄ±, Canhasan I and KurucÌ§ay and the consequent investigation of their crop economies. This work draws on multiple methods and techniques to understand the plant-related activities that occurred at the sites. The four chosen sites bookend the Chalcolithic period (c. 6000-3000 cal BC) and provide the opportunity for exploring the interrelationship between crop choice, crop husbandry, settlement size, surrounding environment and social organisation. Differences in crop species such as hulled barley, glume wheats and pulses, particularly lentil and bitter vetch occur at all four sites with species choice community specific. Multiple methods are used to disentangle the depositional processes, such as dung burning, that formed the assemblages, providing an indication of the origin of the archaeobotanical
archaeobotanical_investigation chalcolithic economy social_organisation central_anatolia limited knowledge year_period central_anatolia turkey prevents change_continuity crop production_consumption crop_husbandry technique aim_address bias examination archaeobotanical remain central_anatolian chalcolithic sit cissatalhoiyuik west consequent investigation crop economy work draw multiple_method technique plant related activity occur site chosen site chalcolithic period cal provide_opportunity explore interrelationship crop choice crop_husbandry settlement size surround environment social_organisation differences crop specie hull barley wheat pulse particularly bitter occur site specie choice community specific multiple_method use disentangle depositional process dung burning form assemblage provide indication origin archaeobotanical