Understanding the social structure in Çatalhöyük: An archaeometric study on plasters

Date

2024-7-26

Author

Güzel, Ali

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The Neolithic transition in the Near East (c. 10000-6500 BC) marks the gradual emergence of agricultural societies, restructured around new concepts of labor division and social inequality. These changes were mediated through the architectural and mental spaces of the ‘house’ and ‘household.’ Although the 7th millennium BC site of Çatalhöyük has been extensively studied as one of these societies, debates about whether its social structure was egalitarian persist. This thesis aims to contribute to this discussion through an archaeometric analysis of the plasters used in Çatalhöyük houses. It seeks to determine whether there were temporal and spatial variations in raw material use, production techniques, and application procedures of plasters, and to contextualize these findings in relation to knowledge-sharing patterns and the emergence of inter-household competition and inequalities in early village societies. To achieve these aims, 26 wall and platform samples from five houses in the Çatalhöyük South and North Areas, spanning different time intervals throughout the 7th millennium BC, were analyzed. The samples were characterized mineralogically, elementally, chemically, microstructurally, and morphologically using XRD, ICP-OES, FTIR, EPMA, SEM-EDS, and Micro-CT methods. The data were evaluated through cluster analyses using statistical methods. The analysis identified two distinct plastering techniques at Çatalhöyük: single-layer marl plastering during the ‘Early Period’ and multi-layer marl-softlime pair plastering during the ‘Middle Period.’ The plaster samples showed remarkable similarities in elemental and mineralogical compositions over time and space; however, quantitative differences in elements and minerals were detected in some cases, likely related to the non-homogeneity of raw materials and application differences, such as changes in the marl and softlime ratio. The presence of multiple marl sources near the Çatalhöyük settlement suggests that Neolithic settlers had access to and could use various sources. While different houses at Çatalhöyük utilized the same resources and techniques with minimal differences, this does not necessarily indicate an egalitarian society. Instead, we argue that plaster, as a material integral to rituals, acted as a ‘symbolic adhesive’ that helped the society maintain an egalitarian facade amidst increasing household competition. The obsessive use of architectural plastering at Çatalhöyük likely represented an ‘aggressively egalitarian’ behavior that suppressed rising inequalities.

Subject Keywords

Çatalhöyük, Neolithic plaster, Raw material analyses, Archaeometric analyses, Cultural Heritage

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/110896

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis