Boncuklu Archaeological Project

This year after the mid-season party the Boncuklu team had the opportunity to take a well-deserved break for the beginning of the Kurban Bayram holiday. This year thirteen of our number traveled to Cappadocia (three hours north-east of Boncuklu) for a fun-filled weekend of sight-seeing, museum-hunting, hiking, eating, wine-tasting, and pamper sessions at the Turkish Baths.

Here are a few photos of the team relaxing:

At Boncuklu we have a range of specialists working with human and animal remains found within the trenches.
Zooarchaeology is the analysis of animal remains found in the archaeological record, which involves the identification of specific species utilised at the site and their age and s*x, to learn about animal exploitation practices, hunting and possibly herding. We can look at the elements present on the site and butchery marks to understand food preparation and consumption.

Özlem is our resident Zooarchaeologist at Boncuklu this year and is working on her PhD dissertation, at University of Liverpool, involving the spatial analysis of activities at Boncuklu, as well as pig teeth geometric morphemetric analysis. Through the analysis of Boncuklu's pig remains (which account for 48% of the faunal assemblage- a much greater frequency than other sites in this area), Özlem hopes to understand more about the steps leading to the domestication of pigs in Central Anatolia. Part of Özlem's job is in helping to understand activities in houses and the various types of external areas.

Özlem loves the fact Zooarchaeology can answer many questions relating to human diet and human-animal interactions, and finds it exciting to study the bones from the different species of animals found here at Boncuklu.
Özlem also helps our team sort the heavy residue remains here at the dig house.

Photo 1: Özlem in her lab holding a modern goat skull from our reference collection.
Photo 2: Özlem helping students distinguish between amphibian bones, small mammal bones, fish bones, and bird bones, along with wood charcoal and plant remains.

If you have been yourself...Why not take a moment to post a review of Boncuklu Hoyuk as a good place to visit on TripAdvisor?

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This year Boncuklu hosted six students for an accredited five-week fieldschool, through the Institute for Field Research (https://www.ifrglobal.org/), hailing from Australia, Canada, and the United States. They undertook one week of field trips to Çatalhöyük, Hattusa, Alaca, Eflatun Pınar, and a weekend trip to Aşıklı and obsidian sources, trips which were supplemented by field lectures from Professor Douglas Baird, allowing our students to learn about Central Anatolian history and the broader archaeological context of Boncuklu. The remaining four-weeks of excavation were focused on introducing the attendees to the archaeology and cultural heritage of Turkey through single-context excavation, as well as discussions with our team of specialists in the trench and lab.

After speaking with the students, now camp friends, they had these things to say about their experiences:

"It was great to have an expert like Doug to guide us through archaeological sites as well as methods, especially because he knows site directors who were able to personally guide us through their sites. It meant we were able to see things that tourists wouldn't have access to."

"I loved the opportunity to see different sites before starting excavation. It allowed Neolithic sites to tie together and be put into a broader context."

"The most interesting thing I learnt were the methods involved in excavating delicate Neolithic remains, which required a lot of precision."

"I loved being able to learn about the Neolithic and the techniques involved in excavating this period whilst here in the Near East, along with all the people I met who know, teach, and learn about archaeology, from all different areas of the world."

"Dig-house life is really fun! Making friends is super easy."

Our IFR students quickly became good friends and core team members who will be sorely missed. We hope to welcome more IFR members in the future and wish this years group all the best in the future.

This year at Boncuklu, the focus of the excavation is on three separate trenches.

Trench R is the newest trench at Boncuklu and is supervised by Maxime. A geophysical survey of the site was undertaken in 2015 which highlighted anomalies in the area of what is now Trench R. These anomalies suggested sub-oval structures with an area of burning in its north-west, which might have reflected the presence of a building containing a hearth. The area was opened in 2017 to investigate these anomalies and determine whether or not a Neolithic building, which could be larger than our standard houses, was present. As it is the newest trench at Boncuklu, we have not yet been able to determine whether or not there is a Neolithic building present. However, a large area of in situ burning may relate to the evidence for a suggested hearth. In addition, an unusually high frequency of our exciting Neolithic pottery, some of the earliest in the Near East, has been excavated in this area so far this season

Trench M is divided into two sections – West Deep, and North Extension. Both host extensive activity zones with phytolith layers (representing silicified plant cells left from spreads of reeds, mats and baskets) as well as midden deposits and ovens. One focus for North Extension is to achieve a better understanding of an area of coprolite (human faeces), which seems to have been a public toilet area. In West Deep, we aim to expose natural soil and uncover the earliest Neolithic layers at Boncuklu, which will help us understand the long term chronology, stratigraphy and history of the site. Trench M is supervised by Patrick, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool.

Trench P contains several buildings that have previously been excavated. However, the focus for this year is the excavation of Building 21 which was first opened in 2014. It is divided into two areas like most Boncuklu Neolithic buildings: a clean area, which contains a substantial grave with two burials; and the dirty area, which includes cooking facilities notably a hearth. We’re also trying to understand the external areas around and predating Building 21 where this year we have already uncovered an infant burial. Trench P is supervised by Hannah, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool.

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are pleased to report that the Boncuklu Höyük 2018 season is now underway. Two weeks of preparatory work, un-backfilling the three trenches and erecting shade structures over them, culminated last week with the commencement of excavation proper.

We hope to publish posts regularly this season after a couple of years of ‘radio silence’ caused by technical disruptions.

Boncuklu Project Webmasters