The cultural use of pigments in human societies is associated with ritual activities and the creation of social memory. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Turkey, 7100–5950 cal BC) provides a unique case study for the exploration of links between pigments in burials, demographic data and colourants in contemporary architectural contexts. This study presents the first combined analysis of funerary and architectural evidence of pigment use in Neolithic Anatolia and discusses the possible social processes underlying the observed statistical patterns. Results reveal that pigments were either applied directly to the deceased or included in the grave as a burial association. The most commonly used pigment was red ochre. Cinnabar was mainly applied to males and blue/green pigment was associated with females. A correlation was found between the number of buried individuals and the number of painted layers in the buildings. Mortuary practices seem to have followed specific selection processes independent of sex and age-at-death of the deceased. This study offers new insights about the social factors involved in pigment use in this community, and contributes to the interpretation of funerary practices in Neolithic Anatolia. Specifically, it suggests that visual expression, ritual performance and symbolic associations were elements of shared long-term socio-cultural practices.
shows that the region is rich in lead, iron, copper, and mercury oxide sources (Bahar 2018). While there are a few instances of cinnabar and red ochre mixed together on wall paintings from Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Çamurcuoğlu 2015; Doherty 2017), cinnabar seems mainly concentrated on human crania from a small number of burials (see below).The site also revealed blue azurite Cu 3 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 (fig. 2) and green malachite Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2. , both mainly encountered in burial contexts but much less common than red pigment. Both pigments form as secondary minerals in the upper oxidised zones of copper ore deposits and are always found together in nature (Eastaugh et al. 2008).Black pigments at the site were derived from carbon black, representing shades from black to blue and brown in color, obtained by burning animal bones, fat, and woody plant material (Çamurcuoğlu 2015). Black was intentionally used on the wall paintings at Çatalhöyük. Charred inclusions were also commonly found in the burial fills, but the pigment's intentional inclusion in these deposits is debatable.Finally, white pigments were derived from calcium carbonate in various forms. The most common natural form of calcium carbonate is calcite. It occurs mainly in sedimentary rocks like chalk and limestone, in metamorphic rocks like marble, and occasionally in igneous rocks (Gettens, FitzHugh, and Feller 1974). The white plasters of Çatalhöyük are a significant aspect of the color palette of the site used on the walls and floors of buildings, and occasionally in burials (for an overview see Schotsmans et al. in press; Vasić, Knüsel, and Haddow in press).
Archaeologists have long debated the potential role of iconographic repertoires in reconstructing prehistoric ontologies and symbolic systems. The rich and complex imagery unearthed at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey) has offered a promising ground to address this issue further. Previous interpretations have focused on the symbolic meaning of the depictions, often highlighting their male-centred and violent connotations, while overlooking the spatial and performative contexts of the depictions. This paper engages with this scholarly work in order to propose a new interpretation based on the anthropological framework of relational ontologies and on the analysis of some stylistic and contextual aspects of the iconography. Based on these premises, the curvilinear enclosures of Göbekli Tepe are interpreted as places of encounter devoted to interpersonal relationships among human and non-human agents, enabled by the intermediary role of images. The use of particular techniques of visual representation—including cues of motion and an emphasis on three-dimensionality—along with the centripetal orientation of the animal figures contributed to the animation of the depicted animals and to a sense of convergence of human and non-human beings in the social space of the enclosures.
Commémoration par l'utilisation des pigments dans des contextes mortuaires et architecturaux sur le site néolithique de Çatalhöyük (7100 -5950 cal BC
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