Domestication and inequality? Households, corporate groups and food processing tools at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Wright, Katherine I.

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2013.09.007

Cited by 78 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…In light of these observations, it can be argued that a centralised authority organised the redistribution of imported basalt objects to their subjects (Bates & Lees 1977;Wright 2014). This scenario is similar to the ground stone distribution system practiced among pre-contact Mesoamerican (Maya and Olmec) societies where merchants would transport ground stone commodities collected from the highlands to the ruling elite of lowland communities, who would then redistribute these commodities to lowland households (Rathje 1972).…”

Section: Local Exchange and Redistributionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

Beller

Greenfield

Shai

et al. 2016

JLS

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Abstract:Recent archaeological excavations at the early urban settlement of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel present the opportunity to reconstruct the life-history of basalt ground stone artefacts of an early urban domestic neighbourhood. Tell es-Safi/Gath is a multi-period site located on the border between the Judean foothills and the southern coastal plain of central Israel. Survey and excavations over the last two decades demonstrated that it was a major urban centre for the region during the Early Bronze Age (EBA) III. At the eastern end of the site, a neighbourhood of commoner residences (some perhaps associated with mercantile activities) have been exposed. This paper describes and analyses the basalt ground stone tools found in association with this domestic neighbourhood. It seeks to establish the nature of production, distribution, consumption, and discard associated with ground stone tools within a domestic context. The study involved several forms of analysis including typology, macroscopic observations, and excavation data. It is suggested that basalt sources from the northeastern regions of the southern Levant were exploited for the small-scale production of basalt artefacts by nonspecialised craftsmen. These commodities were then transported in more or less finished form to Tell es-Safi/Gath where they were further redistributed or sold to the settlement residents. The residents of the Tell es-Safi/Gath neighbourhood utilised the basalt artefacts for traditionally domestic tasks, and ultimately intentionally discarded or recycled them in a few depositional contexts. In summary, this paper presents a unique investigation into the life-history of basalt ground stone artefacts discovered in the EB III occupation levels of Tell es-Safi/Gath. It further demonstrates the potential of ground stone tools for understanding the behaviour and daily life of non-elite people.

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Section: Local Exchange and Redistributionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…They are discussed together as they are often intertwined in the archaeological record (Wright 2014).…”

Section: Stages 3 and 4: Consumption And Discardmentioning

confidence: 99%

The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

Beller

Greenfield

Shai

et al. 2016

JLS

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“…In support, we draw upon several ethnographic studies, where such behavior may have been intended to release the spirit from an object or to express compassion for, or prevent revenge from, a deceased person (e.g., Adams 2008;Dubreuil & Nadel 2015). As shown by Wright (2014) for Holocene archaeological cases, intentional breakage of such tools during 'potlatch-type' events may be locale-specific, and their discard and breakage may be correlated with house abandonment. Many examples of none conjoinable fragments from the Neolithic through Bronze Age sites of the Balkan were used as evidence for deliberate breakage, as well as the distribution of the fragments among relatives and thus their deposition in different sites (e.g.…”

Section: Bowlsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel

Spivak

Nadel

2016

JLS

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Abstract:A wide range of stones were found at the 22,000-24,000 year old lakeshore camp of Ohalo II, the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The well-preserved camp includes the floors of six brush huts, several open-air hearths, a grave, a midden, and small installations. Stones were found in all excavated loci. These include a small assemblage of basalt and limestone tools, among which bowls, grinding implements and weights are the most common. Use-wear analysis supports the identification of the grinding tools, suggesting that cereals were indeed processed with them, but not in an intensive manner. The presence of thousands of cereal grains as well as several sickle blades accord well these finds. Bowls were all shallow and only their fragments were found. Weights were likely used as fishing net sinkers. Limestone and basalt flakes indicate local knapping. Basalt and limestone fragments, shattered from heat, were abundant in all the excavated loci. Their original use is yet to be verified, but their shattering from heat was affirmed by a series of experiments. Stones were also used as wall supports. The range of types, contexts and activities reflected by stone tools and natural stones is unprecedented in other contemporaneous sites in the southern Levant.

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“…Entre os pesquisadores que se debruçaram e continuam se debruçando sobre os fatores causais da estratificação social estão, na maior parte dos casos, antropólogos e arqueólogos, conforme a literatura utilizada neste trabalho (AMES, 1994;ARNOLD, 1992;FRANGIPANE, 2007;WRIGHT, 2014), fazendo desse um campo pouco representado pelos cientistas biológicos. Por esta razão, espera-se com o presente trabalho agregar ao debate novos insights advindos da abordagem darwinista, que utiliza o paradigma da evolução segundo a Seleção Natural como base de pesquisa, sendo nesse caso auxiliada pelas ferramentas e mecanismos estudados entre os fenômenos conhecidos como Sistemas Adaptativos Complexos (HOLLAND, 2006;LANSING, 2003).…”

Section: Panorama Geralunclassified

“…Tais processos de transição social e acumulação material teriam sido documentados em diferentes estudos arqueológicos MARCUS, 2012;MARCUS, 2008;SPENCER, 1990;WRIGHT, 2014). Entre os indicadores de desigualdade material hereditária, definida pela diferença no controle e no acúmulo de excedentes ao longo das gerações (ARNOLD, 1992;FRANGIPANE, 2007), estão, por exemplo, a diversidade do tamanho das habitações em um mesmo vilarejo, o formato distinto de algumas casas e os sepultamentos acompanhados de ornamentações e outros tipos de cultura material que indicam status ou elitização, como colares, pulseiras e brincos (MARCUS, 2008).…”

Section: Origem Da Desigualdadeunclassified

Origem e evolução da desigualdade material hereditária: uma abordagem dos Sistemas Adaptativos Complexos

Freitas¹

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Domestication and inequality? Households, corporate groups and food processing tools at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Cited by 78 publications

References 88 publications

The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

The life-history of basalt ground stone tools from early urban domestic contexts: A chronicle from the EBA III of Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel

The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel

Origem e evolução da desigualdade material hereditária: uma abordagem dos Sistemas Adaptativos Complexos

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