The Exploitation of Resources and their Link to the Mundane and Ritual – A Study of the Anthracological, Floral and Faunal Remains from the Late Neolithic Site of Domuztepe, Southeastern Türkiye.

Abstract

Trees provide not just the oxygen we breathe but also shade, shelter, subsistence and security to humans and animals alike. Various cultures hold trees in high regard and numerous religions place trees within central narratives. Trees are entwined with human culture; yet archaeologists too often see trees only as a means of providing material for carbon dating, or as an avenue for environmental reconstruction. Archaeologists rarely investigate trees within human contexts. This thesis provides chorological and anthracological evidence that trees were an integral part of Late Neolithic society within northern Mesopotamia insofar as some of the earliest painted pottery depicts them. I argue trees were not only valued for their physical properties but also their symbolic properties, particularly their ability to invoke memory and identity. In particular, I suggest that Pinus (pine) was an important genus to the inhabitants of northern Mesopotamia due to the depiction of, what I suggest to be, pine on Halaf pottery and stamp seals, as well as evidence of pine within archaeological contexts.

Date of Award	30 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Stuart Campbell (Main Supervisor) & William Fletcher (Co Supervisor)