A genomic snapshot of demographic and cultural dynamism in Upper Mesopotamia during the Neolithic Transition

Upper Mesopotamia played a key role in the Neolithic Transition in Southwest Asia through marked innovations in symbolism, technology, and foodways. We present thirteen ancient genomes (c.8500-7500 calBCE) from Pre-Pottery Neolithic Çayönü in the Tigris basin together with bioarchaeological and material culture data. Our findings reveal that Çayönü was a genetically diverse population, carrying a mixed ancestry from western and eastern Fertile Crescent, and that the community received immigrants. Our results further suggest that the community was organised along biological family lines. We document bodily interventions such as head-shaping and cauterization among the individuals examined, reflecting Çayönü's cultural ingenuity. Finally, we identify Upper Mesopotamia as the likely source of eastern gene flow into Neolithic Anatolia, in line with material culture evidence. We hypothesise that Upper Mesopotamia's cultural dynamism during the Neolithic Transition was the product not only of its fertile lands but also of its interregional demographic connections

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ~10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ~8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic con-tribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process

Çayönü. A Conspectus of Recent Work

Çayönü, a major site of the 8th millennium B.C. in South-eastern Turkey, has been the scene of intensive archaeological activity during the last 8 years. This paper will be a brief overview of the latest evidence with special emphasis on the archaeological sequence. One of the major issues to be discussed is the continuity in occupation as evidenced by the gradual evolution of the building types from the round-plan to the grill and to the cell-plan. Some social patterns will also be discussed.Çayönü, important site du 8ème millénaire de notre ère, en Turquie du sud-est, a été la scène d'une intense activité archéologique au cours des 8 dernières années. Cet article se livre à un rapide survol des dernières découvertes, et s'attarde plus spécialement sur la séquence archéologique. L'un des thèmes majeurs dont l'on débattra est la continuité dans l'occupation, comme en témoigne l'évolution progressive des types de constructions, du plan circulaire au «grill-plan», puis au plan cellulaire. L'on examinera aussi quelques modèles sociaux.Özdoğan Mehmet, Özdogan A. Çayönü. A Conspectus of Recent Work. In: Paléorient, 1989, vol. 15, n°1. pp. 65-74

Studies on the Halaf Pottery of the Kerküşti Höyük

Kerküşti Höyük, which was successively inhabited from the Early Halaf until almost to the end of the Middle Halaf is geographically located in the middle of the Halaf world (Fig. 1). Its location at the transition point of zones of different environmental settings (mountainous area and steppe zone) not were only suitable for different life styles (permanently and seasonally) and different subsistence strategies (agriculture and husbandry) but also enabled the people of Kerküşti to communicate with different regions. The general character of the architecture reflects short-termed seasonal occupations with round and rectangular structures. The existence of structures with high stone foundations and wattle-and-daub superstructures as well as the ones with well plastered earthen floors hints that the area might have been used both permanently and seasonally. Pottery of Kerküşti demonstrates all the features of the Halaf period and also reflects its relations with the other Halaf sites.Sarıaltun Savaş, Erim-Özdoğan Aslı. Studies on the Halaf Pottery of the Kerküşti Höyük. In: Anatolia Antiqua, Tome 19, 2011. pp. 39-52

Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (Mer Noire). Premier rapport préliminaire

Marro Catherine, Özdoğan Ash, Tibet Aksel. Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (Mer Noire). Premier rapport préliminaire. In: Anatolia Antiqua, Tome 4, 1996. pp. 273-290

Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (mer Noire). Troisième rapport préliminaire

Marro Catherine, Özdoğan Ash, Tibet Aksel. Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (mer Noire). Troisième rapport préliminaire. In: Anatolia Antiqua, Tome 6, 1998. pp. 317-335

Archaeobotanical studies at Sumaki Höyük (Batman, Turkey) in 2014

Our study focuses on the archaeobotanical analyses of 2014 season of the Sumaki Höyük, which is located east ofBeşiri town in Batman province. It was excavated within the framework of Ilısu Dam and HES project by theBatman Museum at the charge of Dr. Aslı Erim Özdoğan. Sumaki Höyük yields Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B(LPPNB) and Early Pottery Neolithic, namely Pre-Proto Hassuna and Proto Hassuna phases, dated to 7310 - 7040cal BC - 6480 - 6400 cal BC. The uppermost phase is a small farm or a district belongs to Abbasid / HamdaniPeriods dated to cal. 770-890 AD. Most of the 2014 botanical samples are collected from the phases dated betweencal. 7030-6580 BC and cal. 6830-6470 BC. The archaeobotanical remains were obtained by flotation of 348 lt soilof 45 samples that were collected from different loci at Sumaki Höyük. The remains are preserved either bycarbonizing or mineralizing. Two domesticated families Poaceae and Fabaceae are predominant. The earliestdomesticated form of wheat Triticum dicoccon (Schrank) Schübl. grains, as well as pieces of spikelet forks, aredetermined. Among the Fabaceae family Lens culinaris Medik. (lentil), Vicia ervilia (L.) Willld. (bitter vetch),Pisum sativum L. (garden pea) and Cicer arietinum L. (chickpea) species were vegetal source of nutrition of seminomadicinhabitants of Sumaki Höyük. The existence of Linum L. (Linen) might be the indicator of weaving and/oroil consumption.Bu çalışmada, Ilısu Barajı ve HES Projesi kapsamında, Dr. Aslı Erim-Özdoğan’ın bilimsel başkanlığında BatmanMüzesi tarafından kazılan, Batman ili Beşiri İlçesi’nde yer alan Sumaki Höyük’ün 2014 yılı arkeobotanik verileriele alınmıştır. Sumaki Höyük Neolitik Dönem tabakaları cal MÖ 7310 - 7040 ile cal MÖ 6480 - 6400 tarihleriarasında Son Çanak Çömleksiz Neolitik B (LPPNB) ve Pre-Proto Hassuna ile Pre Hassuna evrelerini içerir.Höyüğün en üst yerleşimi cal. MS 770-890 tarihlenen Abbasid / Hamdani Dönemlerine ait bir kaç haneli birmezraa veya bir çiftliktir. 2014 botanik örnekleri cal. MÖ 7030-6580 ve cal. MÖ 6830-6470‘ye tarihlenentabakalardan toplanmıştır. 45 toprak örneğinden, 348 litre toprağın yüzdürülmesiyle elde edilmiştir. Kalıntılarkarbonlaşarak ve mineralize şeklinde günümüze ulaşmıştır. Örnekler içinde kültüre alınmış Poaceae ve Fabaceaefamilyaları yoğunluktadır. Buğdayın tarıma alınmış erken formlarından olan Triticum dicoccon (Schrank) Schübl.taneleri ve başakçık parçaları bulunmuştur. Saptanan tohumlar arasında Lens culinaris Medik. (mercimek), Viciaervilia (L.)Willld. (acı burçak), Pisum sativum L. (bezelye) ve Cicer arietinum L. (nohut) türlerinin bulunmasıSumaki Höyük’ün yarı göçebe sakinlerinin tükettikleri bitkiler hakkında ipuçları vermektedir. Linum L. (Keten)bitkisinin ise dokuma ve/veya yağ elde etme amacıyla kullanıldığı düşünülmektedir

Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (mer Noire). Deuxième rapport préliminaire

Kuzucuoğlu Catherine, Marro Catherine, Özdoğan Ash, Tibet Aksel. Prospection archéologique franco-turque dans la région de Kastamonu (mer Noire). Deuxième rapport préliminaire. In: Anatolia Antiqua, Tome 5, 1997. pp. 275-306

Feu et archéoanthropologie au Proche-Orient (épipaléolithique et néolithique). Le lien avec les pratiques funéraires. Données nouvelles de Çayönü (Turquie)

Many burned skeletal remains have been found in the Çayönü Skull Building. The upper layer yielded 71 skulls and some post-cranial remains which might have been burned during the intentional burning of the building. In the earlier layer BM la, there were also many burned human remains. A burned bone deposit from this layer was studied using taphonomic approach so as to reconstruct the burial phases. It appears that the bones were selected prior to their deposit in the pit ; they were then broken in situ by natural process and finally burned may be due to the burning of the building. Although burned human bones are frequently uncovered at Near Eastern Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic sites, a relation with mortuary practices can rarely be established. The earliest cremations date back to the end of the Neolithic period (Halaf culture) but burned human bones have been uncovered from a number of older sites. Most of them were probably accidentally burned. At a few sites (Kebara, Jerf el Ahmar, Dja' de el Mughara, Aşikh, Nahal Hemar), the burning of the human remains might be connected to mortuary practices. It appears that the practice of plastering skulls during the PPNB period is the only mortuary practice involving fire with certainty, even if indirectly.Le Skull Building de Çayönü a livré de nombreux ossements brûlés. Les 71 crânes et les quelques restes post-crâniens du niveau supérieur pourraient avoir été soumis au feu lors de l'incendie volontaire du bâtiment. Les os du niveau BM la (première phase du Skull Building ) ont également pu être brûlés lors d'un incendie. L'analyse, effectuée dans une perspective taphonomique, de l'un des dépôts funéraires de ce niveau montre, de plus, que les os ont été sélectionnés avant d'être placés dans la fosse, ayant ensuite été fragmentés in situ puis brûlés. Les os humains brûlés sont fréquents dans l'Épipaléolithique et le Néolithique du Proche-Orient mais un lien avec les pratiques funéraires peut rarement être établi. Si les incinérations attestées datent de la fin du Néolithique (culture Halaf), des restes humains pourraient avoir été brûlés dans le cadre de pratiques funéraires dans quelques sites plus anciens (Kebara, Jerf el Ahmar, Dja 'de el Mughara, Aşikh, Nahal Hemar). Le surmodelage des crânes, au PPNB, est la seule pratique dans laquelle le feu joue un rôle certain bien qu'indirect.Le Mort Françoise, Erim-Özdögan Asli, Özbek Metin, Yilmaz Yasemin. Feu et archéoanthropologie au Proche-Orient (épipaléolithique et néolithique). Le lien avec les pratiques funéraires. Données nouvelles de Çayönü (Turquie). In: Paléorient, 2000, vol. 26, n°2. La pyrotechnologie à ses débuts. Evolution des premières industries faisant usage du feu. pp. 37-50