Multivocality and multiproxy approaches to the use of space: lessons from 25 years of research at Çatalhöyük

Abstract

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence Newcastle University ePrints-eprint.ncl.ac.uk Shillito L-M. Multivocality and multiproxy approaches to the use of space: lessons from 25 years of research at Çatalhöyük.

Ethno-geochemical and Phytolith Studies of Activity Related Patterns: A Case Study from Al Ma’tan, Jordan

“…Internal fire installations and ashy deposits, external fire installations and ashy deposits and middens have similar signatures due to the elevation of two elements which commonly result from exposure to fire -P and K (Holliday 2004). Middens can be seen as indirect indicators of activities and represent the end product of those activities (Shillito 2017). The midden deposits sampled at Al Ma'tan predominantly consist of ashes from the tabun ovens which the local inhabitants informed us were fuelled with dung and are located next to the midden.…”

“…There has also been significant debate as to whether 'activities' can be detected or whether results are more representative of construction materials. Artefact and microremains can reflect other processes such as materials embedded within the floors resulting from construction rather than representing a specific activity on the floor itself (Tsartsidou et al 2009;Shillito 2017). As a result, many archaeological sites, particularly form earlier time periods, are comprised of a series of structures, the form and function of which is difficult, if not impossible, to interpret.…”

“…cleaning prior to abandonment or periods of disuse); overlapping signatures for numerous activities; post-depositional mixing of sediments; post-depositional (and differential) leaching; and post-depositional alterations are just some of the processes that affect and alter the archaeological record. Furthermore, archaeologists frequently do not understand what types of evidence and signals can be produced from different activities (see Shillito 2017 for a full discussion).…”

“…Human behaviour rarely produces a discreet signal and many different lines of evidence have been used to investigate activities and use of space (Shillito 2017). We selected a dual proxy approach, namely phytoliths and geochemical residues which, because they are inorganic, are more likely to survive in and be recovered from, the archaeological record compared with other evidence such as macrobotanical and faunal remains, making them a valuable source of information.…”

“…Only a fraction, if any, of the material record of activities may remain in the archaeological record (Shillito 2017). An example of this is from the analysis of site activity areas in a Viking Age house in Iceland, where a spindle whorl was recovered from hearth deposits, clearly not representing in situ activity (Milek and Roberts 2013).…”