An archaeobotanical investigation of plant use, crop husbandry and animal diet at early-mid Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Central Anatolia

A groundbreaking archaeobotanical study of Çatalhöyük reveals that early-mid Neolithic inhabitants practiced intensive garden cultivation with fixed plots sown in autumn. The research distinguishes between crop processing residues and dung-derived taxa, using ethnoarchaeological models and statistical methods to disentangle the two sources. This approach provides insights into livestock diet, land use, and farming productivity, suggesting a close proximity of fields to the settlement and long-term sustainability. The findings challenge traditional views on Neolithic agricultural practices and have implications for understanding settlement location, residents' mobility, and social context.

Filipovic, D. (2012). An archaeobotanical investigation of plant use, crop husbandry and animal diet at early-mid Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Central Anatolia [University of Oxford]. https://doi.org/10.5287/ORA-R8ANDVWKA