Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Social Complexity and the Evolution of Sheep and Goat Pastoralism in Central Anatolia

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Under the supervision of Dr. Richard H. Meadow, Benjamin Arbuckle will collect and analyze archaeological data related to the evolution of sheep and goat pastoralism in Central Anatolia. Continuing preliminary work that he began in 2004, Arbuckle will join international archaeological projects based at Ankara and Istanbul Universities in order to collect and analyze animal bone remains from four sites in Central Anatolia (South Central Turkey). The goal of this research is to develop a detailed understanding of the organization and evolution of sheep and goat pastoralism leading up to and during the appearance of the first complex polities and early urban states in the region from 6000-2000 BC.This research is significant because, although sheep and goat pastoralism is one of the most important socio-economic formations in the ancient and modern Middle East, little is known about how pastoral systems were organized in Central Anatolia, how they evolved over time, and how these systems were affected by and affected the development of early urban states. As a result a major portion of the cultural system in Central Anatolia and its role in socio-political evolution remains poorly known. This project analyzes faunal remains from four sites in the region, including Erbaba, Kosk Hoyuk, Guvercinkayasi, and Acemhoyuk, each representing a different point in the sequence of cultural evolution in the region from simple villages to urban centers. Particular attention is focused on addressing questions concerning the overall organization of the animal economy, when and to what extent sheep and goat herds were utilized for products such as milk and wool, and when and to what degree sheep and goat herding became a specialized occupation. The extent to which products such as milk and wool were utilized is important for understanding the productive potential of ancient herds and therefore their economic, social, and political importance. Evidence for specialization in pastoral production and in the distribution of pastoral products will provide a means to identify aspects of the internal organization of early societies in Central Anatolia that may not be available from other lines of evidence, as well as the opportunity to test assumptions concerning the centralized and redistributive nature of the urban Bronze Age economy.Ultimately, this research will contribute to a new understanding of the origins and development of pastoral practices that continue to be important in the region today. By characterizing the nature of the sheep and goat pastoral system and by addressing questions concerning the relationship between specialization in the pastoral economy and emerging social complexity, this research also makes an important contribution to understanding the organization and evolution of early complex polities in Central Anatolia. Furthermore, this project has been conducted in close cooperation with Turkish and other foreign researchers, and the results of this research will be disseminated to the scientific community through collaborative publications in scientific journals in both English and Turkish. Finally, this research has given the author the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the methods of zooarchaeological and archaeological research and has introduced faunal research to several important Turkish excavation projects.