“Official” and “practical” kin: Inferring social and community structure from dental phenotype at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

At the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7400–5600 cal BC), social structure was not primarily based on biological kinship despite interments occurring within individual houses. A study analyzing dental phenotypes of 266 individuals found minimal correlation between biological affinity and house membership, challenging the notion that Çatalhöyük was a kin-based society. Instead, the house itself served as the central social unit, suggesting a more fluid definition of 'kin' that transcended biological lines. This research used multivariate and univariate statistical analyses on metric and nonmetric dental traits to test hypotheses about family units and neighborhood organization, providing insights into the transition to settled life and social dynamics in early farming communities.

Pilloud, M. A., & Larsen, C. S. (2011). “Official” and “practical” kin: Inferring social and community structure from dental phenotype at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 145(4), 519–530. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.21520