Neolithic burials from Barcın Höyük: The 2007-2012 excavation seasons (original) (raw)
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Neolithic Burials from Barcın Höyük: the 2007-2012 Excavation Seasons (2013)
Anatolica 39, 2013
Excavations at the seventh millennium settlement of Barcın Höyük in NW Anatolia have yielded burials of adults, juveniles and infants. This article reports on 34 burials excavated in the years between 2007 and 2012. Most are single and primary burials, with the body in flexed position on its side. The preferred location to bury adults was in open areas between houses, used also for outdoor activities. Babies in contrast were frequently buried in the rubble of abandoned houses. Grave goods are not numerous and include animal bones and bone implements. Osteological examinations revealed high infant mortality, especially in the 0-3 months range. Coarse food consumption led to bad dental health among adults and juveniles. Among the observed pathological conditions degenerative arthritis was common.
Burial Customs of the Neolithic in Anatolia – An Overview
Ü. Yalçın (ed.): Anatolian Metall VII – Anatolien und seine Nachbarn vor 10.000 Jahren (Anatolia and neighbours 10.000 years ago). Der ANSCHNITT Beiheft 31 = Veröffentlichungen aus dem Deutschen Bergbau-Museum Bochum, Nr. 214 (2016) 71-84.
The Neolithic Worked Bone Assemblage from Ulucak Höyük, Western Anatolia
Documenta Praehistorica, 2022
In this investigation we detail the results of a systematic analysis of worked animal bone from Ulucak, one of the earliest Neolithic sites in western Anatolia. The collection exhibits a wide range of types, including points, needles, spatulas, bevelled tools, perforated objects, and other unique objects. A study of the raw material shows a preference for sheep and goat long bones, while large-sized animal rib bones were also utilized. Manufacturing techniques employed included splitting, grooving, and abrasion, while a contextual analysis of the material underscores an intricate connection with other objects made from stone and clay. Items found in buildings relate to textile, leather, and ceramic production, while personal ornaments may have played a part in abandonment rituals. Examination of this assemblage is understood as a common set of regional tool types with some localized variations.
Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019
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.
Senepse , 2022
Human remains from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Boncuklu Tarla provide significant information about the burial customs of this period. This paper presents the initial results of the ongoing bio-archaeological study of the remains of around 130 individuals, including isolated skeletal remains, stemming from circa 80 graves identified within layers dating from the 10th millennium cal BC to the 8th millennium cal BC. The relationship between dwellings and graves is important for the interpretation of the spatial and social organization of this Early Neolithic settlement, since all burials, thus far, were found inside of ‘domestic’ structures. No human remains were exposed in ‘public’ buildings or exterior spaces. The presence of various single and multiple burials with primary and secondary contexts as well as at least one deposition of cremated human remains suggests that there were several different burial practices in use at Neolithic Boncuklu Tarla
The Earliest Levels at Neolithic Barcın Höyük, Northwestern Turkey (2013)
Anatolica 39, 2013
This article presents the current state of research on the two earliest levels encountered at Barcın Höyük, Located in the Yenişehir Plain, Barcın Höyük is excavated as part of a long-term research project on early farming communities in the southern Marmara Region. Even though the exposures are small, excavations have uncovered notable differences between the phases termed VIe and VId. The two phases are compared in terms of pottery traditions, cooking practices, bone tools, beads and stone artifacts, ultimately allowing us to understand some of the key changes that were taking place among the earliest permanently settled communities of this region. The article places the stratigraphy and relative ceramic chronology into a chronological and regional context. Eleven radiocarbon determinations demonstrate that Barcın VIe and VId date to the 66th through 64th centuries BC.