Investigating the “domestic‐selective” environment in an early Neolithic village

Mary C. Stiner, School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

1. Aşıklı Höyük, Turkey 11,000 – 9,000 y BP Investigating the “domestic‐selective” environment in an early Neolithic village Mary C. Stiner, School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
2. West slope trench Level 4
3. Emergence of “Neolithic” way of life – Complex adaptive systems driven by feedback cycles: between organisms and between organisms and the physical environment. In connection with sedentism, benefits with larger consequences, which in turn generate ever more problems to be solved. Lock-in effects: Interaction dynamics that become directional by virtue of their least-negotiable contingencies sedentism? tragedy of commons? energetic symbioses?
4. SOME BROAD EMPIRICAL OBSERVATIONS: Elements of the “neolithization” process vary greatly (e.g. lots of different plant and animal taxa involved) The process was geographically widespread (e.g. Middle East) Common basic stimuli (climate change, loss of mobility, path dependency set by earlier benefits of resource risk management)
5. How many origin points on invention “landscape”?
6. Symbiotic coalescence?
7. Diffusion / homogenization dominate pattern?
8. Rough geography of early plant cultivation leading into plant domestication (several species and families involved)
9. Rough geography of early ungulate management (and later domestication) (several species involved but begins with caprines)
10. LABORATORY FOR APPLYING NICHE CONSTRUCTION to examine emergent processes BUT TO INTERFACE WITH ARCHAEOLOGY, WE NEED DECISION MODELS (SATISFICING or OPTIMALITY) Allows us to examine decision rules for small repeated actions by agents in relation to constraints such as scheduling conflicts, dominant currencies, etc. Objective is to find out when we have it wrong (not to confirm optimal behavior).
11. 20,000 kcal/hr 5000 kcal/hr 500 kcal/hr 5 kilos/acre 40 kilos/acre 100 kilos/acre TWO WAYS TO MAXIMIZE RETURNS: per hour per unit space NARROW DIET DIVERSIFIED DIET
12. Standardizing food availability / demographic packing Plant cultivation (especially) / scheduling conflicts Prey management / tragedy of commons REDUCED MOBILITY? SEDENTISM? BET-HEDGING TO COMPETE?
13. We are interested in the role of emergent phenomena--ground- upward processes that develop non- linearly from small repeated interactions among agents, and between agents and the mutable environment. These feedback relationships provoked a host of new challenges and problems within newly sedentary village, including rising parasite and refuse loads and the functionality of domestic spaces.
14. Aşıklı Höyük – early PPN mound site in Central Anatolia (Kapadokya) Study area T U R K E Y
15. Tuz Gölü Hasan Dağ Melendiz River Aşıklı Höyük Göllü Dağ Central Anatolia study area
16. Aşıklı Höyük team
17. West slope trench Level 4
19. SOME OF THE BIG QUESTIONS FOR THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE ….. Local evolution of the Neolithic socioeconomic “package” Chronology, climate and environmental background Were certain plants and animals domesticated here?
20. Level 4 - Semi-subterranean roundhouses and outdoor features
21. Plant macrofossils indicate heavy use of cereals and other seeds in all layers. Many grass, pulse and other plant species utilized… Explains the foundation of the settlement and new permanence in land use?
22. Abundant, diverse groundstone technology
23. AH located are the edge of prime sheep habitat. Sheep were important in AH diets throughout the 1000+ years of occupation, but sheep became more and more important with time. Buitenhuis (1997) reports zooarchaeological evidence for sheep and goat management (morphometrics, age and sex data) or “proto-domestication” for Level 2 occupations (after ca. 8100 cal BC).
24. “Management” refers to human ‘control’ of the animals, including mate choice and survivorship. A question of interaction. “Domestication” is a potential outcome of management‐‐ a process that changes linked species. An outcome of repeated interactions.
25. Evidence of caprine (sheep and goat) management and conditions of the practice? changes in species importance ungulate age and sex structures in situ dung deposits (captivity on site) .... new technologies emerging pest control, space maintenance & redesign, recycling
26. AH faunal transitions from Level 4 through Level 2A Shift begins early and appears to develop gradually over 1000+ yrs Trade-off between small game and caprines TIME small game
27. Developmental state Total MNE Females Males Unfused 17 10% 60% Fused 35 90% 40% Age-sex distributions for sheep/goat based on pelves (fusion @ 6-7 mo) in Level 4 (Fisher’s exact test p=0.0028).
29. Epipaleolithic Later PPN
30. Taxon NISP fetus NISP neonate Sheep/goat 30 64 Aurochs - 18 Red deer - - Wild pig - 22 Wild horse/ass - 10 Counts of fetal versus neonate bone specimens
31. Evidence for dung accumulations and in situ trampling by animals Compacted, micro-laminated undulating structure, spherulites
32. On site defecation not only in Levels 2 and 3 but also, on a smaller scale in Level 4. Animals tucked between and within structures in Level 4 Larger corrals later on.
33. Phytoliths are microscopic silica structures that develop within the cells of living plants. They usually enter archaeological sediments as fresh or burned plant parts concentrated by humans and by livestock. (1) dicot plants (varied) (2) small-seeded grasses (3) cereals (wheat, barley) (4) riverine sedges-rushes and reeds
34. The large cells of cereal silica skeletons point to cultivated plants, especially in the case of wheat. Reeds (especially phragmites) were used extensively in construction. Wild grass phytoliths occur in large quantities. Some may represent food processing debris, but the majority seem to be from dung of grazers (e.g. sheep or cattle).
35. LIVING WITH SHEEP (and goats) New advantages gained, but new problems to be solved …changes in space use, waste management, pest control, technology directly related to keeping animals captive … In situ dung accumulation
36. FOLLOW THE INTERACTION PATHS – INNOVATION AND RESPONSES TO UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCIES..AND POSSIBLE ANCHORING PRIORITIES…
37. . . . Unanticipated problems… REFUSE USABLE SPACE PESTS PROTECTING INVESTMENTS SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS INTERACTION LOOPS INVOLVING BIOLOGICAL ACTORS AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ( = INHERITANCE)
38. . . . REFUSE USABLE SPACE FUEL SOCIAL FLOW RECYCLING OF MATERIALS AND SPACE FUNCTIONS…
39. hearth dung as binder in brick morter “intact” dung
40. . . . REFUSE USABLE SPACE PESTS PROTECTING INVESTMENTS SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
41. Behavioral and structural adjustments to “close living” with animals (pest control, space maintenance, weeds) Burning‐over, diatomaceous earth, waste removal, recycling, spatial separation
42. Thank you for your attention! Funded by the National Science Foundation. Thanks to all of the members of the AH Project Team!
43. CURRENCIES: RESOURCE INTENSIFICATION CAN TAKE AT LEAST TWO FORMS: Expand range of species eaten to include less preferable types. Squeeze more nutrients out of traditional foods