This study examines the evidence for differential mortuary practices at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, in Anatolia, Turkey, using the histological examination of bacterial microbioerosion in archaeological human bone. In order to analyse bacterial microbioerosion, thin sections were prepared from the midshaft of thoracic ribs 6–8, of n = 162 individuals (adults and juveniles) and analysed using qualitative analysis of microscopic focal destructive changes with polarized light microscopy. The extent of destructive change was assessed, and the degree of preservation was examined using the Oxford Histological Index. Individual, in situ interment was assessed using burial and skeletal data. Results show no differences in histological bacterial microbioerosion between male and female burials, but histological preservation was seen to differ between juveniles and adults, findings that are interpreted as the result of differential mortuary practices at the time of death. The challenges and potential of examining recurring taphonomic signatures in bone histology and their relationship to differential burial practices are discussed.

No abstract