Skull Retrieval and Secondary Burial Practices in the Neolithic Near East: Recent Insights from Çatalhöyük, Turkey

A complex sequence of primary and secondary burials at Çatalhöyük reveals multiple Neolithic funerary practices, including the retrieval of skulls from both intramural inhumations and unburied bodies. This dual process suggests an extended interval between death and burial, with skull circulation likely tied to social distinctions. The study proposes that distinguishing between equifinal processes in the archaeological record—through careful spatiotemporal context analysis and meticulous osteological examination—is essential to understanding the social and cosmological significance of Neolithic 'skull cult' practices.

Haddow, S. D., & Knüsel, C. J. (2017). Skull Retrieval and Secondary Burial Practices in the Neolithic Near East: Recent Insights from Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Bioarchaeology International, 1(1–2). https://doi.org/10.5744/bi.2017.1002