A true gift of mother earth: the use and significance of obsidian at Çatalhöyük

Obsidian at Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic site in central Anatolia, played a significant role in social and ritual practices over 50 years. The study reveals that obsidian was not only a raw material for craft-working but also a medium of exchange, gifting, and identity formation. It highlights the site's importance in the supra-regional dissemination of this material, its gender associations in burial records, and its use in projectiles for ritual behaviors, including the termination of life for buildings or individuals. The research also explores the variability in obsidian types and their significance through time.

Carter, T. (2011). A true gift of mother earth: the use and significance of obsidian at Çatalhöyük. Anatolian Studies, 61, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0066154600008759