Ethics and Archaeology: The Attempt at Eatalhoyuk

Author(s): Ian Hodder

Source: Near Eastern Archaeology, Vol. 65, No. 3 (Sep., 2002), pp. 174-181
Published by: The American Schools of Oriental Research
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3210882
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Ethics a n d Archa eology:
T he Attempt a t (a ta lhoyuk
By
Ia n Hod d er
H
ow should
a rcha eologists
d ecid e
which
question s
toa ska bout
thesites
they
a re
exca va tin g?
Norma lly,
wecon sid er
question s
tha t
a risewithin the
a ca d emy
of scien tists.
In ord erto
get
resea rch
fun d in g
wea sk
question s
tha t a re
topica l
a n d tha t a re
sa n ction ed
by
thescien tific
commun ity.
Orwe
ma yrespon d
tothein terests of
d on ors whilea t thesa metime
tryin g
to
reta in a ca d emic
in tegrity
a n d
in d epen d -
en ce. In a llthese
wa ys,
the
a gen d a -settin g
process
is
top-d own ;
it comes fromthe
a rcha eologists themselves, perha ps
in
colla bora tion with theirfun d ers.1
But in a
globa lized world ,
is this sufficien t? Is it
a d equa te
to
focus on the
testin g
of
hypotheses
set
by
the
a ca d emy-a n
a ca d emya lwa ys steeped
in its own in terests a n d d irection s? On
most if n ot a ll
a rcha eologica l
sites therea re
multiple
commun ities
with a n in terest in thesite.
T hey
a re"sta kehold ers" such a s loca l
in ha bita n ts, tourists,
the
med ia , politicia n s
a n d soon . An d there
ma y
bed ifferen t in terested commun ities with
con flictin g
in terests.
Is it
socia lly
a n d
ethica llyrespon sible
tocon d uct
a rcha eologica l
resea rch without
ta kin g
a ccoun t of the
question s theymight
be
in terested in
a skin g?
T heusua l
respon se
tosuch con cern s is to
build a
museum,
or
provid e
a n exhibit in a n in forma tion cen ter.
Loca lcommun ities then ha veto
a ccept
orcommen t on wha t ha s
been d on e
by
the
a rcha eologists-their
con tribution is min imized .
Afuller
respon se
is to
en ga ge
thed ifferen t sta kehold erin terests in
the
settin g
of
a gen d a s
in thefirst
pla ce.
T his a rticled iscusses someof the
wa ys
in which the
a rcha eologica l
resea rch a t
Qa ta lhoyuik respon d s
toa n d
in tegra tes
question s
set
by
a
va riety
of commun ities. In
myview,
to
2"Q- . .
.
1'
,-s
* (,,(I '
V,,uk
C..rA ,l ,C)Aeria l view of theexca va tion s lt
7T '~AU ~ ():
:"'
C,ta lhoyik
in 1997. T he
mr,p
shows
e*A.T
1
X thesite's loca tion in theKon y,lPi,ir'
'
1~ .~~~~ ~of
An ,tolia rmn od ern
T urkey
un d ersta n d wha t thesecommun ities a rea n d toun d ersta n d the
question s they
would most liketoha ve
a n swered ,
is a
specia list
a rea of resea rch. Forthis
rea son ,
therea resevera l
ethn ogra phers
whoworkon the
Qa ta lh6oyukproject,
a n d whoa ssist in the
d ia logue
with d ifferen t commun ities. T his
pa peris, then , especia lly
in d ebted to
AyferBa rtu,
Da vid Sha n kla n d a n d Nurca n
Ya lma n ,
whoha veworked on theva rious commun ities d iscussed here. In
more
gen era lterms,
theethica ln eed forcloserin tera ction
between
a rcha eologists
a n d thecommun ities
they
servelea d s toa
d ema n d forclosercolla bora tion between
a rcha eologists
a n d
ethn ogra phers.
Whiletherea re
ma n ygroups
with someformof
in terest in
Qa ta lh6yiik,
I in ten d tocon cen tra teon fourbroa d
groupin gs: politicia n s,
loca l
resid en ts,
New
Age
God d ess followers
a n d a rtists.
In
d iscussin g
the
wa y
tha t resea rch
question s
ca n beset within a
colla bora tion a n d
n egotia tion
of
in terests,
I d on ot mea n to
a rgue
tha t the
a rcha eologists
themselves should ha ven o
question s
of
theirown .
Clea rlythey
ha vea
d uty
to
respon d
to
question s
set
by
174 NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002)
_ __ ji __
Ra thertha n
imposin g
question s
from
outsid e,
[a rcha e-
ologists]
a lsoha vea
d uty,
in
my
view,
to
en ga ge
in resea rch tha t
seeks
compromise
a n d
brid ges
between a
va riety
of d ifferen t
in terests.
the
a ca d emy,
a n d toa ct in a ccord with best
d isciplin a rypra ctice.
But ra thertha n
imposin gquestion s
fromoutsid e, they
a lsoha vea
d uty,
in
myview,
to
en ga ge
in resea rch tha t seeks
compromise
a n d
brid ges
between a
va riety
of d ifferen t in terests. A
post-colon ia l
solution in volves
d ia logue
a n d
hybrid ity
ra thertha n
imperia l
imposition
of outsid e
a gen d a s (Bha bha 1994; Appa d ura i 1996).
In trod uction to
ga ta lhoyuk
Someof therea son s tha t
(;a ta lhoyiik
is thefocus of somuch
in terest fromd iversecommun ities ca n befoun d in its
history
of
d iscovery
a n d resea rch. It wa s first exca va ted
byJa mes
Mella a rt in
the1960s,
a n d he
successfullypublicized
its en ormous
importa n ce
(Mella a rt 1967).
At a n
ea rlyd a te,
n ow kn own tobe7400 to6200
BCE,
its
grea t
size
(13 hecta res)
is
impressive,
a s a rethesixteen orso
levels of
occupa tion
in a
twen ty-on e
meter
high
moun d . T hesite
showed tha t
la rgeea rly
sites existed outsid ethe"FertileCrescen t"
in theNea rEa st. But it wa s
especia lly
thea rt tha t
ca ught
the
schola rly
a n d
public
in terest. T hewa ll
pa in tin gs
a n d relief
sculpture
were
un ique,
a n d even
tod a y,
a fterthe
d iscovery
of
pa ra llel
sites in southea sterAn a tolia with ela bora te
a rt,
it rema in s
thed en sest con cen tra tion of
symbolism
sofa rfoun d in theea stern
Med iterra n ea n a t this time.
In tern a tion a lly,
thesitebeca me
wid ely
kn own
through
Mella a rt's
publica tion s
in theIllustra ted Lon d on
Aview in tothein teriorof a housea t
Ca ta lh6yik, showin g
the
un ique
a rt for
which thesiteis fa mous. Notethe
a ctivity
on theroof.
News a n d elsewhere. Within
T urkey
thesitetookon a
specia l
sign ifica n ce
a s the
origin
of An a tolia n civiliza tion .
New resea rch a t thesiteun d er
my
d irection
bega n
in
1993, a fter
d eca d es of
in a ctivity.
But it wa s clea rfromourea rliest
press d a ys,
tha t thesiteha d n ot lost its hold on the
public ima gin a tion ,
a t lea st
in
T urkey.
Our
spon sors
sta rted
orga n izin gpress d a ys
in ord erto
a ttra ct
publicity
fortheir
con tribution s, a n d
frequen tlyfifty
ormore
press
a n d med ia
represen ta tives
turn ed
up
a t the
site, ea ger
to
get
thela test n ews. Most of theseha vebeen n a tion a la n d loca l
med ia ,
but wea lso
get covera ge
fromthein tern a tion a l
press
a n d television .
T hePoliticia n s
Forthefirst
group
tha t ha s a n in terest in
Qa ta lhoyuk,
this med ia
in terest is crucia l. T he
politicia n s
ha vecometoshow a
specia l
en ga gemen t
with thesite
sin ce,
a t
press even ts, they
a rea bleto
ga in
wid emed ia
covera ge.
Of
course, they
ea ch ha vetheir
d ifferen t cla ims toma ke, but for
a ll, the
pa y-off
is
publicity
in the
con text of a n in tern a tion a l
project workin g
a t on eof themost
importa n t ea rly
sites in
T urkey.
I wish tolimit this d iscussion to
two
con tra stin ggroups
of
politicia n s-the
loca l
region a lpoliticia n s
a n d the
Europea n politicia n s.
As wewill
see, they
usethesitein
very
d ifferen t
wa ys.
T owha t exten t ca n the
a rcha eologyen ga ge
in
a
d ia logue
with such
politica l
in terests? T owha t exten t ca n it
respon d
tothe
question s
the
politicia n s
ra ise?
Qa ta lhoyik
is situa ted on ehourea st of
Kon ya ,
in a
region
kn own forits
religious
fun d a men ta list a n d /orn a tion a list
politics.
In recen t
yea rs
the
region
ha s been the
stron ghold
of the
n a tion a list MHP
pa rty,
a n d it is a lsoa cen terforIsla mic
compa n ies
a n d tra d ition a lrura lIsla mic a ttitud es towa rd s women
rega rd in g
socia la n d econ omic beha vior. When
politicia n s
such a s theloca l
ma yor(fromQumra ,
theloca l
town ),
or
govern or, give
ta lks in
fron t of the
press
a t thesite, they
ta lka bout the
importa n ce
of the
loca lity
a n d the
region . T heysa y
tha t the
presen ce
of
;a ta lhoyuk
d emon stra tes the
specia l
n a tureof the
region .
Of course, they
a d mit tha t thesiteis
pre-T urk
a n d
pre-Isla mic,
but
they
n evertheless
sa y
tha t it shows the
importa n ce
of thela n d a n d its
tra d ition s.
T heypoin t
a lsotothein tern a tion a lcha ra cterof the
project
a n d thevisitors it a ttra cts.
Aga in
this shows the
importa n ce
of the
region .
Some
try
a t times toma kelin ks tothe
migra tion s
of
theT urks
themselves,
but most a recon ten t with ra ther
va guer
con n ection s between
pa st
a n d
presen t.
T hereis
un d oubted ly
a
politica l
a n d loca lin terest in the
question
"whowerethe
people
tha t lived a t
(a ta lhyiik?"
Loca l
people
a skus this
question
a llthetime. "Were
they
rela ted tous?"
T owha t exten t ca n
a rcha eologists respon d
tothis
question ?
On e
obvious
con tempora ry
method is
through
a n cien t DNA
a n a lysis
(e.g., Jon es 2001).
T hehuma n buria ls d iscovered in the
exca va tion s a t
(a ta lhoyiik
ha vebeen the
subject
of twoa n cien t
DNA
projects.
T hefirst wa s un d erta ken
by
theLeeuwen
la bora tory
in
Belgium,
a n d thesecon d
by
Sta n ford
Un iversity
(Ma lhi
et a l.
2003).
Sofa rthis workha s
on ly
been a bleto
suggest
tha t there
ma y
besomea n cien t DNA
presen t
in thehuma n
bon es. Much morea n d
very
in ten sive
stud y
willben eed ed before
a n ythin g
ca n besa id a bout thesimila rities between thea n cien t
a n d mod er
popula tion s
in cen tra l
T urkey.
NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002) 175
T here
clea rly
is con sid era bleloca lin terest in
tryin g
to
un d ersta n d the
gen etic
lin ks between
Qa ta lhoyiik
a n d
presen t-d a y
popula tion s,
a n d sothe
project
willcon tin ueto
try
tofin d
wa ys
of
con tin uin g
this a n cien t DNAresea rch. An other
respon se
would
betofocus on historica lstud ies which show how theloca l
villa ges
in the
Ca ta lh6yiuk-Qumra
a rea a rema d e
up
of
migra n ts
fromthe
Ba lka n s,
a n d such resea rch is
pa rt
of
ethn o-a rcha eologica l
work
bein g
ca rried out
by
Nurca n Ya lma n . Yet a n other
respon se
is to
show
wa ys
in which
Qa ta lhiyiik
is
pa rt
of a
region a l
tra d ition . It
ha s
lon g
been a ssumed tha t the
a gricultura l
revolution
sprea d
through
An a tolia a n d
Europe
a fter
origin a tin g
in theFertile
Crescen t.
Con tempora ry
version s of this view willbed iscussed
below. But recen t
compa ra tive
resea rch
byOzd oga n (2002)
ha s
suggested
the
importa n ce
of
region a l
con tin uities in cen tra l
An a tolia .
Certa in ly
theevid en cefrom
Qa ta lh6yik
shows
con n ection s a cross a wid erzon e
rea chin g
in totheLeva n t a n d
mid d le
Mesopota mia .
T heuseof lime
pla ster
in theea rliest levels
is
pa ra llel
toits usein the
Pre-Pottery
Neolithic B in theLeva n t.
T he
figure
with
upra ised
a rms a n d
legs
is foun d a t G6bekli a n d
Ko?kH6yiik(Schmid t 2001;
Ozta n
2002).
An d of coursemore
gen eric
tra its such a s thebullhea d s a n d fema le
figurin es
a n d
buria ls ben ea th floors a re
wid ely
foun d . Pla stered skulls fromK6sk
H6yuk
reca llthosefromtheLeva n t
(Ozta n 2002).
On theother
ha n d , Ozd oga n poin ts
to
d istin ctlyregion a l
tra its in cen tra l
An a tolia such a s thela ckof cen tra lized
a uthority.
T herea re
un d oubted ly
d istin ctivecha ra cteristics of the
Qa ta lh6yiik
evid en cetha t
suggest
a loca l
process
of
d evelopmen t,
even if
in fluen ced
by
theNea rEa st.
Such evid en ce
sa ys n othin g,
of
course,
a bout the
con tin uity
between the
pa st
a n d the
presen t,
but it rein forces thein terests of
loca l
politicia n s
in thed istin ctivecon tribution s of their
region .
As
a rcha eologists,
weha veto
resist, however,
those
politicia n s
tha t
wish tota ketheevid en cetowa rd s a n extreme
in terpreta tion
in
terms of cultura lorra cia l
superiority.
T he
a rcha eologica l
a n d
historica levid en cein d ica tes a
lon gperiod
of cultura l
mixin g
between loca ltra d ition s a n d outsid ein fluen ce. Even theDNA
evid en cewilln ot resolvetheissues of "whowe
a re,"
sin cea n swers
totha t
question
a rea s much
socia l,
cultura la n d historica la s
they
a re
gen etic.
T he
importa n t poin t
is tha t
a rcha eologists
a rea bleto
en terin toa d eba tewith loca l
politicia n s
a bout issues in which
they
show a
prime
con cern .
Fromtimeto
time,
a
very
d ifferen t
type
of
politicia n
visits
Qa ta lh6yiik.
For
exa mple,
theAmba ssa d orof the
Europea n
Un ion ma kes
very
d ifferen t
speeches
when he
spea ks
tothe
press
a t thesite. His a imis to
spea k
tothosein
T urkeywho,
in con tra st
tothen a tion a list
politicia n s,
wish tota ke
T urkey
in tothe
Europea n
Un ion . T heAmba ssa d orta lks of thefa ct tha t there
wa s n o
boun d a ry
between
Europe
a n d Asia a t thetimeof
Ca ta lh6yiik.
Herefers totheevid en ceweha ved iscussed with
himforcultura lcon ta cts between cen tra lAn a tolia a n d
southea stern
Europe
in theNeolithic. Heis fa scin a ted when we
d escribetohimtheworkof Colin Ren frew
(1987)
on the
sprea d
of
In d o-Europea n la n gua ges
a n d on the
rela tion ship
between tha t
la n gua ged ispersa l
a n d the
sprea d
of
fa rmin g
fromAn a tolia in to
Europe.
Heta kes this a s
proof
of his view tha t
"origin a lly" T urkey
wa s
pa rt
of
Europe,
a n d heseems less in terested when we
sa y
tha t
ma n ya rcha eologists
ta ketheview tha t therea red ifficulties with
then otion of a
la rge-sca lesprea d
of
In d o-Europea n s
a ssocia ted
with the
sprea d
of
a griculture.
We
poin t
out theevid en ce
d escribed
a bove,
for
region a lsequen ces,
but helooks a t the
evid en ce
through
his own
politica l
len ses.
It d oes seem
possible, then ,
tod irect
a rcha eologica l
resea rch so
tha t it
respon d s
toissues ra ised
by
loca l
politicia n s. In d eed ,
I would
cla ima n ethica l
d uty
to
respon d
n ot
simply
beca useof
respon sibility
towa rd s on e's
hosts,
but a lsobeca usethe
politicia n s
usethed ista n t
pa st
toma kecla ims a bout
origin s
a n d id en tities. T hesecla ims n eed
tobe
tempered by
the
a rcha eologica levid en ce,
ora t lea st the
a rcha eologist
n eed s to
provid e
the
opportun ity
for
competin gpoin ts
of view tobeta ken
up.
T hesitea n d thed a ta tha t a rema d ekn own
by
the
a rcha eologist
willbeused in on e
wa y
ora n otherto
support
politica l
cla ims-in
my
view it is un ethica lforthe
a rcha eologists
to
wa sh theirha n d s of this
process
a n d torema in
d isen ga ged .
T heLoca l Commun ities
T heT urkish men a n d women whoworkon the
project
come
ma in ly
fromtheloca l
villa ge
of
Ku?ukkiy(1
kmfromthe
site)
a n d
fromtheloca ltown of
Cumra (15
kmfromthe
site). T hey
workin
a
va riety
of
ca pa cities
fromla borers to
gua rd s
a n d
guid es
to
flota tion a ssista n ts a n d
hea vy
resid uesorters.
In crea sin gly
thesite
ha s been visited
by
loca l
people
fromother
n eighborin gvilla ges
a n d town s a n d fromthe
region a l
cen tera t
Kon ya .
Wha t
types
of
question s
a rethesesta kehold ers in terested
in ,
a n d how ca n we
con tributetotheirin terests in a n d
un d ersta n d in g
of thesite?
Ma n y
of theloca lrura lin ha bita n ts a refa rmers with low
in comes a n d limited ed uca tion . T heir
kn owled ge
a bout thesiteis
obta in ed from
prima ry
schoola n d fromfolktra d ition s. In
gen era l,
they
ha velittled eta iled
kn owled ge
of the
history
a n d
prehistory
of
T urkey
a n d the
Kon ya region .
T heirin terests in thesitethus
in clud emore
pra ctica lcon cern s,
such a s how toben efit
econ omica lly
fromthe
project,
thesitea n d its tourists.
Up
to
forty
or
fiftypeople
a re
employed by
the
project
fora few mon ths
every
yea r.
A
villa ger
from
Ku?ukk6y
ha s built a ca f6 a n d
shop
outsid e
theen tra n cetothe
site,
a n d thewomen fromthe
villa ge
sell
embroid ered cloth a t the
d ig
house. T he
project
ha s a lso
con tributed tothe
d iggin g
of a n ew wella n d the
provision
of a
n ew wa ter
supply.
T he
project
ha s
helped
to
persua d eregion a l
officia ls tobuild a n ew schoolin the
villa ge,
a n d it ha s con tributed
a
libra ry
tothe
villa ge.
As
a lrea d yn oted , fin d in g
out wha t theloca lcommun ities wa n t
tokn ow a bout thesiteis a
specia lized
ta ska n d the
ethn ogra phers
whoworkwith us ha vebeen in volved in va rious schemes to
ed uca tea n d
en ga ge
theloca lcommun ities in thesitea n d the
project.
For
exa mple, Ayfer
Ba rtuha s
given
ta lks a bout the
project
in the
villa ge.
Sheha s a lsoa ssisted thewomen fromthe
villa ge
to
set
up
a
commun ity
exhibit in theVisitorCen tera t the
d ig
house.
In this
exhibit,
thewomen chosetocon cen tra teon the
pla n ts
tha t
grow
on the
moun d ,
which a re
importa n t
a s herbs a n d med icin es.
In
2001,
a
group
of men a n d women fromthe
villa ge
werea sked
tota ke
pa rt
in our
post-exca va tion
stud ies.
T hey
were
pa id
to
con tributetod iscussion s a bout the
in terpreta tion
of the
site,
176 NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002)
Members of theloca l
villa gecommun itycon tributin g
to
la bora tory
d iscussion s a bout the
in terpreta tion
of
a n a lytica l
results from
?(a ta lh6oyk.
ba sed on themost recen t
a n a lytica l
results tha t were
expla in ed
tothem. T hesed iscussion s were
put
on vid eoa n d their
commen ts willbetra n scribed a n d used a s verba tim
quotes
in the
publica tion
texts. T he
types
of
question
towhich
they
could
most
effectively
con tributewerethosetha t rela ted tothe
pra ctices
of
livin g
in thecen tra lAn a tolia n en viron men t. T hus
they
werea bletocon tributetoissues of how oven s of d ifferen t
sha pe
a n d ma d eof d ifferen t
cla ys
could beused .
T hey
kn ew the
effect of thed omin a n t win d s
on theloca tion of
firepla ces
in
houses.
T hey
con tributed to
/ /
issues
rega rd in g
thed ifficulties It would b
of lifein thewin ter.
On e
question
tha t most tha t theloca lco
in terested themwa s
"why
"othertha t is sc
here?"
T hey
were
pa rticula rly
in terested in
why
this
pa rticula r
prehistorytha n
bit of la n d wa s chosen forthe
site.
T hey
werein terested in the
specifics
of the
loca lity,
a n d how
it wa s used for
a griculture
a n d food . In
fa ct,
it ha s
proved
d ifficult
toa n swerthe
question "why
here?" Much workon
esta blishin g
the
la n d sca pe
a n d
pa la eoen viron men t
ha s been d on e
by
a tea m
led
by
Neil
Roberts,
ba sed on the
sed imen tology
a n d
pollen
of
cores ta ken froma roun d thesitea n d in the
region .
It is clea rtha t
a t thetimeof thesite's
occupa tion
therewa s severesea son a l
flood in g
a n d wetla n d s in the
vicin ity
of thesite. T his loca tion is
reflected in then umberof wa terbird s foun d a t thesite. It wa s
therefore
surprisin g
tofin d tha t thecerea l
phytoliths bein g
stud ied
by
Arlen eRosen in d ica ted
d ry-la n d fa rmin g.
T hea rcha eobota n ica l
tea ma lsofoun d a n a ssocia tion between cerea ls a n d
d ry-la n d
weed s. At the
time,
then ea rest
d ry
la n d wa s 10-12 km
a wa y.
Most
d a ta
specia lists a greed
tha t thesitewould ha vebeen betterloca ted
up
theloca lriver
system
towa rd s
higher
a n d d rierla n d . For
exa mple,
a wetla n d is n ot a n id ea len viron men t ford omestic
sheep. Why
wa s thesiteloca ted whereit
wa s,
in a wetla n d ? On e
possible
a n sweris tha t weha vemuch evid en cen ow tha t the
pla sterin g
of houses a n d theuseof mud for
build in g
a t
Ca ta lhyiik
e
)m
)n
cv
were
very
ela bora te.
Pa rticula rly
in the
ea rly
levels weha ve
evid en ceof con sid era blelime
burn in g
toma ke
high qua lity
lime
floors,
which were
pa in ted .
T heloca tion of thesitelow d own
within the
pla in gives ea sy
a ccess tothewid e
ra n ge
of lime-rich
cla ys
a n d ma rls n eed ed forthe
pla sterin g
a n d
sculpture
within the
build in gs.
T hese
fa ctors,
a s much a s subsisten ce
resources, ma y
ha ved etermin ed theloca tion of thesite.
Much of theevid en cetha t weha vecon sid ered shows
tha t,
a t
lea st in theea rlierlevels of the
site,
thesubsisten ce
econ omy
wa s d iversea n d sma llsca le. T herewered omestica ted cerea ls
a n d
sheep
a n d
goa t,
but thesewere
on lypa rt
of a
pa tchwork
of
resources
used ,
someobta in ed from
grea t
d ista n ces such a s the
ha ckberry.
T hereis much evid en cea lsotha t in the
ea rly
levels
theseresources were
la rgely
collected within a d omestic mod e
of
prod uction . Stora ge
evid en ceis sma ll-sca lea n d within -
house. T herea re
on ly
sma llcon ta in ers
(pots, ba skets,
wood en
bowls)
a n d sma ll
grin d in g
ston es. At lea st in the
ea rly
levels
thesed omestic un its collected a wid e
ra n ge
of resources overa
complex
sea son a lroun d . T herewa s
un d oubted lycoopera tion
a t
supra -houselevels,
but much of
d a ily
subsisten cewa s ca rried
out a t a sma ll-sca lelevel.
We
ca n , then , a ttempt
toa n swersomeof theloca l
question s
a bout thesite. But it is a lso
importa n t
n ot to
promote
theview
tha t somehow theloca lcommun ities a re"lost in
time,"
leftovers
from
prehistory.
It is n ot
surprisin g, perha ps,
tha t theloca l
commun ity
is most in terested
in
loca lity
a n d la n d use. But it
would be
wron g
toa ssumetha t
wron g
toa ssume
thereis somecon tin uous
con n ection be-tween
pa st
a n d
imun ities a rea n presen t. Historica lly
thereha s
ehow closer
been much in a n d out
n en ow closerto
migra tion .
T hereha s been
ve
a re.
^* ^
ma ssivesocia la n d cultura l
vje
a re
cha n ge
overthela st n in e
millen n ia . It would be
wron g
toa ssumetha t theloca l
commun ities a rea n "other" tha t is somehow closerto
prehistory
tha n "we" a re
(Fa bia n 1983).
T heloca lcommun ities con tributeto
the
project
a n d a sk
question s
of it tha t rela tetotheir
kn owled ge
of
theen viron men t a n d its soils.
T hey
d on ot ha vesome
privileged
kn owled ge
ba sed on cultura l
con tin uity.
T ocla imtha t would beto
"museumize" theloca lcommun ities.
T heGod d ess Commun ities
An otherset of commun ities in terested in theworkof the
project
a t thesiteis d efin ed
by
a n in terest in theGod d ess.
Groups
on God d ess tours
regula rly
visit thesitefromthe
USA, Germa n y,
Ista n bula n d elsewhere.
T hey
cometo
pra y,
hold circle
d a n ces,
feel
the
power
of the
God d ess,
a n d even ea t theea rth of themoun d !
T hereis a
grea t d iversity
of such
groups
fromGa ia
groups,
to
Ecofemin ists,
toGod d ess New
Age
tra velers. In d ivid ua ls a reoften
visibly
moved
by
the
experien ce
of
visitin g
a n d it is
un d oubted ly
theca setha t for
ma n y
theexisten ceof theGod d ess a t
Qa ta lhyiik
is
importa n t
fortheir
person a l
sen seof
id en tity.
T he
project
ha s
NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002) 177
en tered in to
d ia logue
with somemembers of theva ried God d ess
groups
on its
website,
a n d someof theresea rch d irection s
bein g
ta ken result fromthesein tera ction s.
On e
specific
offshoot of thein terest in thesitefromwomen 's
movemen ts wa s a fa shion show
sta ged
in Ista n bul
by
Ba ha r
Korea n ,
a T urkish/in tern a tion a ld ress
d esign er.
Sheba sed a n
exhibition on thethemeof
Qa ta lhoyiik
a n d "women of other
times." T heclothes were
in spired by
the
site,
theca t-wa lkwa s "in "
a mod elof
Qa ta lhoyiik,
a n d slid es of thesitea n d its a rt were
shown in the
ba ckgroun d
a s
pa rt
of a multi-med ia
experien ce.
In
fa ct,
theshow wa s a
ma jorpress
a n d T V
even t,
with the
top
popula rsin ger
a t the
time, T a rka n , ma kin g
a n
a ppea ra n ce.
T he
press covera ge
exten d ed
globa lly
to
Fra n ce, Ja pa n
a n d
beyon d .
T heva ried God d ess
groups
with a n in terest in
Qa ta lhoyiik
a sk
d ifferen t
question s
of thesite. Someta kea
stron g
lin e
rega rd in g
theroleof women in the
pa st, a rguin g
tha t women wered omin a n t
a n d tha t the
society
wa s
pea ceful
a n d without violen ce. Others
wa n t
simply
to
en ga ge
in thesitefroma
spiritua l
a n d
religious
poin t
of view. Others ha vea n ed uca ted in terest in theevid en ce
fortheroleof women a t thesiten in ethousa n d
yea rs a go.
It is n ot
possible
for
a rcha eologists
tocon tributetothe
religious
view tha t the
god d ess
is
presen t
a t
Qa ta lhyuiik.
But it is
possible
to
try
a n d
respon d
tothose
women 's groups
tha t wa n t tokn ow a bout
theroleof women a t thesite. Wa s Gimbuta s
(1982) right
in
a rguin g
fora
powerfulposition
for
women ,
even a
ma tria rchy,
a t
these
ea rly
sites? Ca n we
id en tify
theroles of men a n d women ?
T heworkof therecen t
project
a t
Qa ta lhoyuik
ha s been un a ble
to
id en tify
clea rd ifferen ces between theroles of men a n d women
in their
d a ily
lives. For
exa mple,
if women were
cen tra lly
in volved
in
pla n t processin g
a n d
cookin g
in the
house,
we
might
ha ve
expected
someclea r
spa tia l
d ifferen tia tion between such
a ctivities a n d thosea ssocia ted with men . It is often a ssumed tha t
men would ha vema d eobsid ia n
tools,
ora t lea st obsid ia n
projectilepoin ts.
But a t
Qa ta lhoyuik
weha vefoun d tha t most
houses ha veobsid ia n ca ches n ea rthehea rth a n d
oven ,
a n d tha t
thereis clea revid en ceof
kn a ppin g
d ebris in thesesa mea rea s.
T herea re
ma n ywa ys
of
in terpretin g
such
evid en ce,
but it is a t
lea st clea rtha t thereis n o
support
ford istin ct
gen d ered a ctivity
a rea s. Otherevid en ceis less
a mbiguous.
Sta ble
isotope
stud ies of
huma n bon ea t thesiteha veshown n oclea r
d ieta ry
d ifferen ces
between ma les a n d fema les
(Richa rd s
a n d Pea rson
2003),
a n d the
sa meis trueof teeth-wea rstud ies
(An d rews,
Molleson a n d Boz
2003).
Weha vefoun d n o
systema tic
d ifferen ces in theloca tion
a n d
la yout
of ma lea n d fema lebod ies a n d
gra ves (Ha milton
2003).
Afew in d ivid ua ls a t
Qa ta lhyuik
ha d theirhea d s removed
a fterburia l. T hesehea d s werela terused in foun d a tion a n d
a ba n d on men t
ceremon ies,
a n d it is rea son a bleto
suppose
tha t
they
werein volved in rela tion s of in herita n ceora ffilia tion . If
so,
it is of in terest tha t both ma lea n d fema leskulls wereremoved
a n d
d eposited
in this
wa y.
It wa s a s
importa n t
toesta blish socia l
rela tion s
through
women a s it wa s
through
men .
Sothereis
n othin g
to
suggest
tha t men a n d women lived
very
d ifferen t
gen d ered
lives a t
Qa ta lhoyuik.
T hereis n oevid en cetha t
in
pra ctice, gen d er
wa s
veryimporta n t
in
a ssign in g
socia lroles.
However,
therea resomeclea rd ifferen ces in the
a rt,
a n d some
symbolic
a ssocia tion s between women a n d
pla n ts.
T hefa mous
figurin e
of a woma n
sittin g
on a sea t of felin es wa s foun d in a
gra in
bin ,
a n d
recen tly
the
project
ha s foun d a sma ll
cla yfigurin e
of a
woma n with
brea sts,
in theba ckof which wa s a
ca vitycon ta in in g
a sma llwild seed . Women a remoreoften shown in a sea ted
position .
In the
a rt,
therea rescen es of bea rd ed
figures
in volved in
a n ima l
ba itin g
a n d
hun tin g
a n d
d a n cin g.
T heseclea rd ifferen ces
in the
d epiction
of men a n d women in thea rt
ma y
n ot rela teto
gen d ered
d ifferen ces in the
pra ctices
of
d a ily
life.
Ra ther, theyma y
be
meta phorica l
a n d id ea lized .
But,
in
myview,
therea ren o
un a mbiguous d epiction s
of women
givin gbirth,
or
sucklin g
or
ten d in g
child ren . In other
word s,
thereis littleevid en ceof the
"Mother." Women a re
certa in lyd epicted
in
powerfulposition s,
such a s
sittin g
on felin es with theirha n d s
restin g
on the
hea d s,
but
thereis n o
good
evid en cetha t this
symbolic power
d erived from
the"Mother"
id ea ,
ra thertha n fromothera ttributes of women
such a s their
sexua lity
ortheir
prod uctiveca pa cities.
T hese
a rgumen ts,
tha t women
ma y
n ot ha veha d
clea rly
gen d ered
roles in
pra ctice,
a n d tha t their
symbolic sign ifica n ce
is
n ot
n ecessa rily
rela ted tothe"Mother"
id ea ,
ha ve
a n gered ma n y
in theGod d ess
commun ities,
but it would beun ethica lto
ca rry
on
supportin ga rgumen ts
forwhich there
a ppea rs
tobelittleevid en ce.
Ma n y
followers of theGod d ess ha ve
en ga ged
in
d ia logue
a n d ha ve
been a bletoseetha t then ew evid en ceca n be
in corpora ted
in toa
revised
perspective-forexa mple,
on ein which women were
powerful
forrea son s othertha n
motherin g
a n d in which some
equa lity
existed in
pra ctice.
T hus it is
possible
toa sk
question s
tha t a reof in terest to
pa rticula rgroups,
a n d then toen terin toa
d ia logue
tha t ca n con tributeto
cha n ged perspectives.
Artists
On eof themost
surprisin gcompon en ts
of theren ewed
resea rch a t
Qa ta lhoyiik
ha s been the
wa y
in which thesite
a ttra cts a
va riety
of a rtists. T hese
a ga in va ry
in terms of
specific
motiva tion a n d in terest.
T hey
in clud ethosewhocrea teworks
or
performa n ces
a bout thesitea t other
ven ues,
a n d those
in volved in in sta lla tion a rt a t thesite. T hereis a lsosome
overla p
with theGod d ess
groups
a s severa lof thea rtists a re
in spired by
then otion tha t women a t
Qa ta lhyuiik
ha d a more
powerful
roletha n in
con tempora rysociety.
On e
exa mple
is
Ja leYilma ba ?a r,
a n a rtist
workin g
in Ista n bul.
She
recen tly
held a n exhibit of
pa in tin gs
in Ista n bultha t
referred tothe
pa in tin gs
tha t Mella a rt ha s
a rgued
comefrom
thesite.
Origin a lly
kn own in
T urkey
a s a
cera micist,
sheha s
recen tly
turn ed moretooil
pa in tin gs,
a n d herca n va ses a re
la rge,
bold a n d colorful. Sheis n ot
pa rticula rly
in terested in
thesite
itself;
morewith the
wa ys
in which the
project,
a n d I a s
its
d irector,
ca n
provid e
a n extra d imen sion a n d va lid a tion to
herwork.
T hus,
I ha vebeen a sked ton a methe
pa in tin gs
for
her,
a n d ha vebeen
pictured
in
ca ta logues hold in g
con versa tion s
with herin fron t of the
pa in tin gs.
T he
pia n ist
a n d
composerT uluyha n Ugurluga ve
a con cert in
Ista n bul
in spired byQa ta lhoyuk.
His music is
popula r
a n d it mixes
a
va riety
of
styles in clud in g
T urkish motifs. Hewa s tra in ed a s a
con cert
pia n ist
a n d
composerma in ly
in Austria a n d d escribes
178 NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002)
himself a s ethn ic, cla ssica la n d New
Age.
Hed ecid ed towrite
music a bout
(a ta lhoyuk
beca useof its
globa l
a n d New
Age
a ssocia tion s,
but a lsobeca useheca mefrom
Kon ya .
On eof the
ma in
pa rts
of thecon cert cen tered on a
poem
written
by
Resit
Ergen er,
a T urkish econ omist a n d tour
guid e,
a n d
co-orga n izer
a n d
lea d erof
ma n y
of theGod d ess tours to
(a ta lhoyuk.
T hecon cert
a lsoused slid es a n d
ima ges,
ta ken fromthe
project
website. T he
music a cted a s a "fra me" a roun d theslid es, which hewa tched a s
he
pla yed
a n d towhich he
pa rtlyimprovised .
OrgeT ulga ,
whoha d a
ga llery
exhibit of her
gold
a n d silver
jewelry
on
d ispla y
in Ista n bulin
2002, expla in ed
how her
d esign s
were
in spired by
a n d ba sed on thea rt of
(a ta lhoyuk, especia lly
theGod d ess
ima gery.
Shea lsosa id how much shewa n ted tovisit
thesite:"I wa n t tocomea n d feelthe
a tmosphere.
I wa n t tolive
therea little." T he
"a tmosphere"
referred tohereis
pa rtly
spiritua l.
T his
lin kin g
of
performa n ce,
a rt a n d
spiritua lity
a t the
siteitself is seen
pa rticula rly
in theworkof Ad rien n eMomi.
Aga in
a n
orga n izer
of God d ess tours,
a n d ba sed in
Ca liforia , she
ha s con structed in sta lla tion a rt a t a n umberof
prehistoric
sites in
Europe.
In 2001 shema d ea
spira l
on thesiteitself. Sheworked
closely
with the
a rcha eologica l tea m, lea rn in g
a bout thecurren t
in terpreta tion s
of thesite. She
en ga ged
loca l
people
a n d school
child ren in hera rt-which in volved
ma kin gpa per
on site,
then
ma kin gsta mps
ba sed on thea rt fromthesite, a n d then
prin tin g
these
d esign s
on tothe
pa per
a n d
stickin g
the
pa per
on a
la rge
pa perspira l
la id out on the
gra ss slope
of theNeolithic moun d .
Shewa s ca refulto
get
officia l
permission
a n d
throughout
worked
in a con sen sua l
wa y.
T he
spira l
a n d thea rt weremea n t to
provid e
a cha n n elof commun ica tion with thesubcon scious of thesite.
Sheca lled herin sta lla tion
"T urn in gT hrough
T ime:
Commun ica tion with thed ista n t
pa st
a t
Qa ta lhyiik."
T herea reva rious
wa ys
in which a rtists ca n be
en ga ged
in the
a rcha eologica lproject.
An other
exa mple
in volves thea rtists
employed by
the
project
itself toillustra tethefin d s a n d
a rchitecture.
John Swogger
ha s been
workin g
a s a n on -site
Ad rien n eMomi workin q on hera rt
spira l
a t
Ca ta lhoyuk.
Recon struction
by
John
Swogger
of thein teriorof
Build in g
1 a s
seen fromtheen tra n cela d d er, lookin g
n orth in tothema in room
with
pa in tin gs
a roun d then orthwest
pla tform
un d erwhich thereis
a con cen tra tion of
youn gpeople
buried .
a rcha eologica l
illustra tora t
Ga ta lhoyiik
sin ce1998. He
a d a ma n tly
id en tifies himself a s a n illustra torra thertha n a n
a rtist,
but a s a n
illustra torwhois
pushin g
the
rigid
boun d a ries of
a rcha eologica l
illustra tion
(Swogger2000). Byd efyin g
thestrict,
but wha t hesees
a s
a rtificia l,
boun d a ries between themed ia con sid ered tobethe
d oma in of the"a rtists" a n d thed oma in of the"the
a rcha eologica l
illustra tors,"
he
suggests
tha t a llthesemed ia ca n beseen a s a
"tool-a mecha n ismor
process
for
record in g
a n d
presen tin g
a rcha eologica l
in forma tion in visua lform." Hea lso
a rgues
tha t
such a n
expa n sion
a n d
broa d en in g
of thed efin ition of wha t
a rcha eologica l
illustra tion is
gives
theillustra torthefreed omto
embra ced ifferen t
types
of med ia a n d
styles
tha t willen a ble
explora tion
of d ifferen t
a spects
of
a rcha eologica l
in forma tion .
Wha t hed oes is tocrea terecon struction s ba sed on theevid en ce
provid ed by
d ifferen t
specia lists
a t thesite. T hesesketches,
d ra win gs,
a n d recon struction s
provid e
mea n s of
visua lizin g
va rious
fin d in gs, in terpreta tion s, hypotheses,
a n d theories. As
Swogger
poin ts out, "combin ed with a
process
of
explorin g
n ew mod es of
visua l
expression
a n d
lookin gca refully
a t the
wa y
'a rt' ca n
illustra tethed a ta
of'scien ce,'
therecould beherethe
poten tia l
for
crea tin g
a
powerful
a n d
importa n t
toolfor
ma n a gin g
on -site
in terpreta tion
a n d
a n a lysis" (2000:149).
His illustra tion s a n d
recon struction s ha vebeen
in tegra ted
within the
record in g,
a n a lysis,
a n d
public presen ta tion
of the
fin d in gs
fromthesite.
An othera rtist, Nessa
Leibha mmer,
a lsoworks a s a n
illustra tor, but sheuses more
stra ightforwa rd
a rtistic
con ven tion s a n d d oes n ot
a ttempt
toused eta iled mea sured
d ra win gs.
Shefeels tha t thescien tific cod ified
d ra win gs
d on ot
ca pture
thefullsen seof wha t is seen . Hermore
in terpretive
a n d
a esthetic
d ra win gs complemen t
themorescien tific
d epiction s.
In con tra st to
Swogger's illustra tion s,
Leibha mmer's
ima ges
a re
a rtistic a n d
person a lin terpretived ra win gs
tha t focus on the
visible, physica la spects
of
a rcha eology,
such a s
wa lls, rooms,
a n d
NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002) 179
spa ces,
ra thertha n recon struction s tha t
a ttempt
to
in corpora te
a lltheevid en cefromthesite. But her
d ra win gs
ha vea lso
en riched a n d become
pa rt
of the
a rcha eologica l
a rchiveof
Qa ta lhoyuk.
Her
d ra win gs
a n d
pa in tin gs provid e
a fullersen seof
d epth
a n d volumein the
complex
wa ll
pla sters,
a n d
they
a re
moresuccessfula t this tha n themea sured lin e
d ra win gs.
So,
on e
wa y
of
in volvin g
a rtists in the
a rcha eologica l project
is
to
en ga ge
themin the
process
of
record in g
a n d
expression .
But
a n other
respon se
is to
a ttempt
toa n swerthe
question s they
a sk
a bout theroleof"a rt" a t
?(a ta lhoyuk
n in ethousa n d
yea rs a go.
T he
a rtists
brin g
their
con tempora rya ssumption s
a bout
a esthetics,
fra min g
a n d
specia list prod uction .
An d
yet
ca n weta lka bout the
Nessa Leibha mmer
d oin g
a n a rtistic
d ra win g
of thesa mefea turetha t
is bein gd ra wn usin ga rcha eologica lcon ven tion s.
symbolism
a t
Qa ta lhoyik
in theseterms? Wa s this "a rt" a t a ll?
Wha t wa s theroleof the"a rt?" How ca n we
in terpret
it?
I wish to
suggest
first of a lltha t therea re
ma n y
d ifferen t
types
of
"a rt" a t
(a ta lhoyuk
a n d tha t
expla n a tion s
will
va ry
forthe
d ifferen t
types.
I wa n t heretorestrict
my
commen ts totwo
pa rticula r
cla sses of "a rt" a t thesite. T hefirst is therelief
sculpture.
T his is in sta lled a n d rema in s a s
pa rt
of thehouseovera
lon g
time. T hesecon d is the
geometric pa in tin gs.
T heseoccuron
somewa ll
pla sters,
but in
a n y
on ehousethere
ma y
beoveron e
hun d red
yea rlyrepla sterin gs
of thewa lls in thema in room. Few of
thesea reever
pa in ted .
T he
pa in tin gs
a retra n sien t a n d
proba bly
ha vea d ifferen t
expla n a tion
fromtherelief
sculptures.
Let us ta ketherelief
sculptures
first. T hesea re
in corpora ted
in tothea rchitectureof the
build in gs.
For
exa mple,
bullhorn s
ma y
beset
d eeply
in tobricks in the
wa lls,
a n d
pla stered
bucra n ia
ma y
beset on the
upright posts
tha t hold
up
the
roof. T hebucra n ia a n d relief
leopa rd s
often ha veevid en ceof
repea ted pa in tin g,
a n d
ma y
ha vela sted
throughout
the
lifetimeof a house. In
a d d ition , d urin g
thea ba n d on men t of
thehouse,
a s in
Build in g
2
(Fa rid 2003),
bucra n ia a n d other
sculpture
wereremoved fromwestern wa lls in thema in
rooms. In theca seof
Build in g1,
the
build in g
wa s filled
up
with soilon
a ba n d on men t,
a n d then somed eca d es la tera
tren ch wa s
d ug
d own toremove
sculpture
fromthewestern
wa ll
(Cessford 2003).
T his
suggests
a clea r
memory
of the
loca tion of these
bucra n ia , a n d their
retrieva l, perha ps
touse
in la terhouses. T hereten tion of a n ima lhea d s in this
wa y
reca lls theremova lof hea d s fromhuma n skeleton s buried
below floors. It seems fea sibletha t the
pla stered
a n ima lhea d s
a cted a s mn emon ics of
importa n t
even ts in the
history
of
household s, a n d tha t
they
a cted a s ma rkers of
lin ea ge
a n d
a n cestry. T hey
were
in corpora ted
in tothefa bric of the
house,
litera llyhold in g
it
up.
T he
geometric pa in tin gs
a re
very
d ifferen t in theirsocia l
roles.
T hrough
most of thelifeof
a n ypa rticula rhouse, the
wa lls werewhite. But forshort
period s
of time
they
beca me
tra n sformed in toa bla zeof colora n d
a ctivity,
eithera s
figura tive
or
geometric pa in tin gs.
T he
pa in tin gs
werethen
pla stered
overa n d thewa lls reverted totheir
pla in
form. HereI
ca n
on ly
commen t on the
geometric pa in tin g
a s weha ven ot
foun d
figura tive
n a rra tivescen es in therecen t exca va tion s. But
in
Build in g1,
a cluea s tothefun ction of these
pa in tin gs
ha s
been foun d . Herethereis a
spa tia l
a n d
tempora l
lin kbetween
geometric pa in tin g
a n d theburia lof
ma in lyyoun gpeople.
It is
then orthwest
pla tform
in thema in roomtha t is surroun d ed
by
pa in tin gd urin gpa rt
of the
occupa tion
of thehouse. It is this
pla tform
un d erwhich
youn gpeople
were
preferen tia lly
buried .
But thereis a lsoa
tempora l
lin k. It is
a lwa ys
d ifficult toa ssess
which wa ll
pla stergoes
with which floor
pla ster,
a n d
on ly
a pproxima te
correla tion s could bema d ein
Build in g
1. But in
gen era l
terms the
pha ses
of
pa in tin gcorrespon d ed
tothe
pha ses
of buria lun d erthis
pla tform.
On e
possiblein terpreta tion
of this lin kis tha t the
geometric pa in tin g
a cted in some
wa y
to
protect
ortocommun ica tewith thed ea d below the
pla tform.
Gell
(1998)
ha s d iscussed the
a potropa ic
useof
a rt, a n d this
seems a rea son a ble
in terpreta tion
in theca seof
Build in g
1. A
compa ra ble
a ssocia tion ha s been foun d in the
a d ja cen t Build in g
3
(Steva n ovic
a n d
T rin gha m1999),
where
a ga in
then orthwest
pla tform
con ta in ed most buria lin thema in
room, a n d red
pa in t
con cen tra ted
(or
wa s best
preserved )
on thewa lls a roun d this
sa men orthwest
pla tform.
Soin both ca ses the"a rt" is n ot "a rt" in thesen seof
somethin g
simply
tobe
con templa ted
with a esthetic sen sibilities.
Ra ther, a rt
a t
(a ta lhoyiik
d oes
somethin g(Gell1998).
It ca n be
in terpreted
a s
pla yin g
a socia lrolein rela tion to
lin ea ge
a n d in rela tion to
in tera ction with thed ea d . In this sen seit
perha ps
con tra sts with
thea ctivities of the
con tempora ry
a rtists a t
(a ta lhyiik.
At on e
level
too, their
a rt, especia lly
thein sta lla tion
a rt,
is
d esign ed
to
d o
somethin g.
An d
yet
it rema in s a n a esthetic
expression
somewha t removed from
d a ilypra ctice.
It ca n be
a rgued
tha t the
n in ethousa n d
yea r
old "a rt" a t
(a ta lhoyik
is closertoscien ce
tha n it is to
con tempora rya rt,
in thesen setha t it a ims to
in terven ein the
world , toun d ersta n d how it
works, to
cha n ge
it.
T hus the
d ia logue
between a n cien t a n d
con tempora ry
a rtists ca n
lea d to
cha n ges
of
perspective
both fora rtists a n d
a rcha eologists.
T he
d ia loguecha llen ges
the
ten d en cya mon gcon tempora ry
a rtists to
a ppropria te
thea rt in totheirown
perspective.
T he
a rcha eologica l
evid en ceca n con tributetoa n
un d ersta n d in g
of
the"othern ess" of
prehistoric
a rt.
180 NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002)
- - -
Ethics a n d
Archa eology
In a
globa lized world , a rcha eologists in crea sin gly
workwith
multiple
commun ities. I ha vetried to
provid eexa mples
of some
of the
problems
a n d issues tha t a rera ised in such a con text. I
ha vetried to
suggest
tha t ra thertha n
just settin g
ourown
a gen d a ,
it is
possible
to
n egotia te
resea rch
question s
with a
n umberof
groups.
It is
possible
tocolla bora tewith these
groups
in rela tion tothea n swers
given
a n d the
in terpreta tion s
ma d e.
Qa ta lh6yiik
is
perha ps
a n extremesitein tha t so
ma n y
sta kehold er
groups
a rein volved . On theother
ha n d ,
in
ma n y
pa rts
of theworld
a rcha eologists
workin thecon text of
con tested
pa sts.
I ha vetried to
a rgue
heretha t
a rcha eologists
ha vea n ethica l
respon sibility
toa sk
question s
a bout the
pa st
tha t reson a tewith sta kehold ercommun ities. But it is a lsoclea r
tha t thea n swers tosuch
question s ma y
beun comforta blefor
specific
sta kehold er
groups. T heyma y
in volvethe
a rcha eologist
ta kin g
a sta n cewith
rega rd
tohow thed a ta ca n beused to
support a rgumen ts
tha t a rema d e
by
in terested
pa rties.
Archa eology
becomes
reflexivelypa rt
of thesocia l
process.
Note
1. I a m
gra teful
toa llthemembers of the
Ca ta lhoyiikProject
forthework
on which this
pa per
is
ba sed ,
a n d totheT urkish
Min istry
of
Culture,
T he
British In stituteof
Archa eology
a t
An ka ra ,
a n d a llour
spon sors.
T his
a rticleis therevised version of a lectured elivered a t theW. E
Albright
In stituteof
Archa eologica l
Resea rch in Ma rch
2002,
when thea uthorwa s
thethird T rud eDotha n Lecturerin An cien t Nea rEa stern Stud ies. T his
series,
which a lsoin clud es lectures a t Al-Qud s Un iversity
a n d theHebrew
Un iversity,
wa s
spon sored by
the
Albright
In stitutea n d en d owed
by
the
Dorot Foun d a tion .
Referen ces
An d rews, P; Molleson , T ;
a n d
Boz,
B.
2003 T heHuma n Buria ls a t
Ca ta lh6yiik.
In
Qa ta lhoyiik 1995-1999,
ed ited
by
I. Hod d er.
Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stitute
Mon ogra phs
a n d British In stituteof
Archa eology
a t An ka ra .
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A.
1996
Mod ern ity
a t
La rge. Min n ea polis:Un iversity
of Min n esota
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Bha bha ,
H.
1994 T heLoca tion
of
Culture. Lon d on :
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Cessford ,
C.
2003 T heNorth Area . In Ca ta lhoyiik1995-1999, ed ited byI.
Fa bia n , J.
1983
Fa rid ,
S.
2003
Gell,
A.
1998
Hod d er.
Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stitute
Mon ogra phs
a n d
British In stituteof
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a t An ka ra .
T imea n d theOther:How
An thropology
Ma kes its
Object.
New
York:Columbia
Un iversity.
T heSouth Area . In
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ed ited
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McDon a ld In stitute
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Agen cy:
An
An thropologica lT heory.
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Cla ren d on .
Gimbuta s,
M.
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Ha milton ,
N.
2003 Socia l
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ed ited
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Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stitute
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a t An ka ra .
Jon es,
M.
2001 T heMoleculeHun t:
Archa eology
a n d theSea rch
for
An cien t
DNA. Lon d on :Allen La n e.
Ma lhi, R.;
Va n
T uin en , M.; Moun ta in , J.; Hod d er, I.;
a n d
Ha d ly,
E. A.
2003 Pilot
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An cien t DNA
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In
Qa ta lhoyiik
1995-1999,
ed ited
by
I. Hod d er.
Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stitute
Mon ogra phs
a n d British In stituteof
Archa eology
a t An ka ra .
Mella a rt, J.
1967 Qa ta lHuiyiik:
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Defin in g
theNeolithic of Cen tra lAn a tolia .
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by
F. Gera rd a n d L.
T hissen . Ista n bul:
EgeYa yin la ri.
Ozta n ,
A.
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T iiba -Ar5:57-72.
Ren frew,
C.
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Ha rmon d sworth:
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Richa rd s,
M. a n d
Pea rson , J.
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In
Qa ta lhyiik
1995-1999,
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I. Hod d er.
Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stitute
Mon ogra phs
a n d British In stituteof
Archa eology
a t An ka ra .
Schmid t,
K.
2001 Gobekli
T epe,
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A
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26(1):45-54.
Steva n ovic,
M. a n d
T rin gha m,
R.
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Qa ta l
News 6:3-5
Swogger, J.
2000
Ima ge
a n d
In terpreta tion :
T he
T yra n n y
of
Represen ta tion ? Pp
178-99 in T owa rd s
Reflexive
Method s in
Archa eology:
T he
Exa mple
a t
Qa ta lhoyiik,
ed ited
by
I. Hod d er.
Ca mbrid ge:
McDon a ld In stituteof
Archa eologica lResea rch/British
In stituteof
Archa eology
a t
An ka ra , Mon ogra ph
289.
w~lI.~I~,~ISJgGw (RI
la n Hod d eris Dun levie
Fa mily
Professor
in the
Depa rtmen t of
Cultura l a n d Socia l
An thropology
a t
Sta n ford Un iversity.
His books
in clud e
Spa tia l An a lysis
in
Archa eology(1976, Ca mbrid ge,
with C.
Orton ), Symbols
in Action
(1982, Ca mbrid ge), Rea d in g
the
Pa st
(1986, Ca mbrid ge),
T he
Domestica tion of
Europe(1990,
Bla ckwell)
a n d T he
Archa eologica l
Process
(1999, Bla ckwell).
Ia n Hod d er
NEAR EAST ERN ARCHAEOLOGY 65:3 (2002) 181