The Importance of Chert in Central Anatolia: Lessons from the Neolithic Assemblage at Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Abstract

This paper is a presentation of three sources of artifact-quality chert in Central Anatolia. A previous dearth of research focused on locating and characterizing such raw material sources has incorrectly colored our view of prehistoric economic practices. To remedy this situation, we have conducted a survey of various locales within Central Anatolia to test for the presence of artifact-quality materials. We make use of Individual Attribute Analysis (IAA) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis to discriminate among these materials, and suggest their use by the Neolithic occupants of Ç atalhöyük through similar analyses of artifactual materials. We argue that the presence and characterization of these new sources allows us to better understand the intricacies of Neolithic practices by illustrating the ways in which the consumption of these materials was variably entwined with the exploitation of other resources, as well as embedded within social relations outside of Central Anatolia. C 2013

Characterization of the siliceous rocks at Stélida, an early prehistoric lithic quarry (Northwest Naxos, Greece), by petrography and geochemistry: A first step towards chert sourcing

“…From a brief review one might argue that combined approaches produce some of the most successful studies, i.e. those able to link artefact raw materials to specific sources, as for example the geochemical and petrographic approach undertaken recently in central Anatolia by Nazaroff et al (2013); this is the dualmethodology applied in this study (see also Bressy 2002).…”

Trace element mapping of two Pyrenean chert deposits (SW Europe) by PIXE

“…The use of geochemical studies to characterise chert have increased in the last few years [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Results show that these analyses are essential for better determining the relationship prehistoric human populations had with their environment.…”

Paleolithic occupations of the Göllü Dağ, Central Anatolia, Turkey

“…Two retouched tools made of flint which is not of local origin were also collected. Flint source attribution in Anatolia is still in its infancy (e.g., Nazaroff et al 2013) and we cannot say where these raw materials originated.…”