Abstract

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING AND EVOLUTION FROM THE 9th TO THE 5th MILLENNIUM CAL BC IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA. An introduction to the study of relations between environmental conditions and the development of human societies

Catherine KUZUCUOĞLU
MAE/IFEA, Nuru Ziya Sok n° 22, PK 54, 80072 Beyoglu, Istanbul, TR. UMR 8591-CNRS/Paris I University, 92195 Meudon cedex, F.
kuzucuogl@netcourrier.com                                                                        

Environment provides mainly three types of interrelated elements to human economy and settlements, activities and movements: air, water and soil, interacting in turn with fauna and flora. As far as agricultural activities are concerned, the water disposal resulting from climatic and hydro-geological balances is decisive, together with the soil characteristics. Environment provides potential resources for agricultural development, but the availability - and thus the "value" - of water and soil resources also depends on the techniques and social organisation involved for their exploitation and management. The availability and access to convenient areas and routes are also decisive, the disposition of the relief thus appearing to be a possible controlling factor for settlement distribution and route patterns.

In this approach, the theme retained for the maps presented in the CANeW network is "geomorphology", aiming at a tentative synthesis of relief (with regards to settlements and routes patterns) and soil-water disposal (with regards to agricultural demand) features. Five maps have been produced by comparison with site distribution during the five Neolithic stages: ECA I (9th to late 8th mill. cal BC); ECA II (late 8th to 6700/6600 cal BC); ECA III (6700/6600-6000 cal BC); ECA IV (6000-5500 cal BC); ECA V (5500-4000 cal BC).

Each period map must be examined within the frame of what is known about the characteristics and evolution of climate during the period considered. Accordingly, the plan of the presentation lecture will be the following: after an introduction presenting the general definition of the region, some data will be exposed with regard to global changes during the whole period (9th to 5th mill.) and their published records in the continental sediment archives in Eastern Mediterranean, focus being given next to results from Anatolia, for each ECA period. Such successive context is expected to give a frame for interpreting the maps, and for raising specific or more general questions.

Keeping in mind that water and soil availability, as well as plant expansion also depend on the human choices, techniques and organisation involved for their agricultural exploitation, a dynamic interpretation of the maps can only rely on the confrontation of both environmentalist's and archaeologist's knowledge of what (or may have) happened during each period. CANeW is a unique and exciting opportunity to discuss the evolution and relationships between elements fundamental for our understanding of the development history of human societies in Central Anatolia: i) the evolution of climate during the period; ii) its effects on environment i.e. on water, soil, plants and fauna resources; iii) opportunities grabbed by given societies to use, manage and take profit - or suffer - from existing and/or changing natural resources. The conclusion expected is not only to give a broad record of our present knowledge on the evolution of the environment during these five stages, but to trace the capability or non-capability of human societies to take advantage, react, adapt themselves, or ignore changing environments.

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