Erhan Bıçakçı | Istanbul University (original) (raw)

Papers by Erhan Bıçakçı

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Nov 29, 2018

Mammalia, Jun 27, 2018

The primary aim of this study was to establish for the very first time the results on the rodent ... more The primary aim of this study was to establish for the very first time the results on the rodent fauna gathered from the ongoing Neolithic excavations at the Tepecik-Çiftlik site in southern Cappadocia (Niğde, Turkey). So far, the fauna being study is represented by species of arvicolines (Microtus cf. arvalis and Arvicola cf. amphibius), murines (Mus cf. musculus), sousliks (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus), hamsters (Mesocricetus brandti) and molerats (Spalax xanthodon), and their remains are described in detail. Paleoenvironmental assumption based on common preferences of the fauna elements indicates, at first sight, a rather dry steppe environment with sparse plant cover or perennial short grasses. On the other hand, the presence of Arvicola cf. amphibius points out streams and marsh-like vegetation cover with bodies of water. The predation or burn marks observed on some specimens and the presence of subterraneous rodents raise questions concerning their taphonomy.

Cambridge University Press eBooks, May 5, 2022

TÜBA - AR, Jun 15, 2001

TiiesiteofTepecik-Çifthlt. which kes in the Cappadocian volcanic zone, has been known since i 966... more TiiesiteofTepecik-Çifthlt. which kes in the Cappadocian volcanic zone, has been known since i 966. The sito was discovered by LA. Todd. The archaeological materia) from the surface col lection indicates that the site was occupied mainly during the Neolithic and the beginning-of Chalcolithic period. However, some of the chipped-stone collected from the surface is strong ly suggestive of a Pre-Pottety Neolithic occupation at the site. Its location-close to the Göliü Dağ obsidian sources and work shops.-and a great amount ofobsidian cores and Hakes sug gest that the site was in close contact with the obsidian-related activities. The relief decorated pottery with animal and human figures of Tepecik-Çiftlik closeiy resembles to those of Köşk Höyük, which lies ca35 km south-southeast of Tepecik-Çiftlik, in the plain of Bor (Province of Niğde). It seems that, this new settlement, which may be dated between the 7th and 6th mille¬ nium B.C, will provide a new information on the prelnstory of Central Anatolia.

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Apr 18, 2020

Sheep was among the first domesticated animals, but its demographic history is little understood.... more Sheep was among the first domesticated animals, but its demographic history is little understood. Here we present combined analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear polymorphism data from ancient central and west Anatolian sheep dating to the Late Glacial and early Holocene. We observe loss of mitochondrial haplotype diversity around 7500 BCE during the early Neolithic, consistent with a domestication-related bottleneck. Post-7000 BCE, mitochondrial haplogroup diversity increases, compatible with admixture from other domestication centres and/or from wild populations. Analysing archaeogenomic data, we further find that Anatolian Neolithic sheep (ANS) are genetically closest to present-day European breeds, and especially those from central and north Europe. Our results indicate that Asian contribution to south European breeds in the post-Neolithic era, possibly during the Bronze Age, may explain this pattern. .

TÜBA-AR: Turkish Academy of Sciences Journal of …, 2001

Les Dossiers D Archeologie, 2003

Jusqu'au milieu du siecle dernier, on supposait que l'Anatolie centrale n'avait ete o... more Jusqu'au milieu du siecle dernier, on supposait que l'Anatolie centrale n'avait ete occupee qu'a la fin de la periode chalcolithique. Selon les theses diffusionnistes d'alors, le Proche-Orient, considere comme etant a l'origine des transformations neolithiques, etait percu comme un noyau a partir duquel se serait effectuee la diffusion du Neolithique vers les regions de l'Egee et du sud-est de l'Europe. Il etait alors admis que les conditions climatiques et environnementales de la peninsule anatolienne, au nord du Taurus, presentaient des inconvenients majeurs a l'implantation de populations. En resultait la vision d'une region de passage entre le Proche-Orient et l'Europe.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2016

Archaeogenomic analysis of ancient Anatolians : first genetic indication for Neolithic cultural d... more Archaeogenomic analysis of ancient Anatolians : first genetic indication for Neolithic cultural diffusion in the Near East

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019

There are only a few collective burials that include a large number of individuals during the PPN... more There are only a few collective burials that include a large number of individuals during the PPN (Pre-Pottery Neolithic) and PN (Pottery Neolithic) settlements of the Near East. However, analyses of this type of burial are highly important since they provide enormous information about a variety of cultural and biological aspects of a society. In this study, a large collective burial from Tepecik-Çiftlik is evaluated. The main goal of this study is to examine and understand the formation process of this burial. Following excavation, the human skeletal remains were curated and analyzed. In this analysis, at least 42 individuals were documented in the burial. A calculation of the Most Likely Number of Individuals (MLNI) has indicated there may be as many as 47 individuals present. The burial includes both sexes and all age groups, with the exception of infants below the age of 1.5 years. In summary, we argue that the final stage of the burial was formed through multiple factors and the reasons behind the complexity of this assemblage include successive burials over time, movement of the primary burials by human agents, and the secondary deposition of several individuals.

Nature, Jan 25, 2008

The domestication of cattle, sheep and goats had already taken place in the Near East by the eigh... more The domestication of cattle, sheep and goats had already taken place in the Near East by the eighth millennium bc. Although there would have been considerable economic and nutritional gains from using these animals for their milk and other products from living animals-that is, traction and wool-the first clear evidence for these appears much later, from the late fifth and fourth millennia bc. Hence, the timing and region in which milking was first practised remain unknown. Organic residues preserved in archaeological pottery have provided direct evidence for the use of milk in the fourth millennium in Britain, and in the sixth millennium in eastern Europe, based on the delta(13)C values of the major fatty acids of milk fat. Here we apply this approach to more than 2,200 pottery vessels from sites in the Near East and southeastern Europe dating from the fifth to the seventh millennia bc. We show that milk was in use by the seventh millennium; this is the earliest direct evidence to d...