PATIOS · Life between houses: A multiscalar interdisciplinary investigation into the creation and use of settlement open spaces by the first sedentary communities

Life between houses: A multiscalar interdisciplinary investigation into the creation and use of settlement open spaces by the first sedentary communities

The main goal of PATIOS was to offer a new perspective on the socio-economic trajectory of early settled communities in the Near East by attempting a shift away from building-level analysis. The project was designed to answer two main questions: (1) How do settlement open areas inform us about continuity and change in the social dynamics and ecological strategies of the earliest sedentary communities? (2) Do Neolithic open areas display a rigid spatial distribution (akin to that of built environments) and is there any evidence for the creation and maintenance of discrete categories of open spaces? This project aimed to reveal the daily activities performed in the open areas of early sedentary settlements by producing a novel body of work that would challenge current perspectives of community ethos and lead to a better understanding of sedentary practices. This research focused on two highly significant regions for the transition from mobile hunter-gatherer to sedentarising communities: the Levant and Anatolia. These areas constitute a biodiversity hotspot and a major regional hub for the transmission of economic, technological and cultural innovations across the Near East and into Europe between 8,700-6,000 cal BC. The project conclusions include the identification of important changes in the use and development of open spaces during the Near Eastern Neolithic. At Kharaysin, fill deposits from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) point to incipient forms of refuse disposal practices. A more structured use of space emerged in the PPNB, with open sequences displaying discrete refuse areas and firing locations. At Boncuklu, while most open spaces display evidence of massive dumpings of unconsolidated materials, similarly to PPNA Kharaysin, some open spaces consist of finely laminated and compacted deposits of ash, charred and silicified plant fragments, bones, lithics, and faecal matter, suggesting the regular performance of group activities in these areas. At Çatalhöyük, open areas display a high proportion of re-deposited organic components derived from the recurrent dumping of domestic refuse. During the Ceramic Neolithic, pits, paved floors and round silos emerged, a phenomenon likely related to changes in social organisation driven by increasing household autonomy and the emergence of discernible differences between the household and the community spheres. The site of Pınarbaşı shows a significant contrast between its earliest open areas, displaying highly homogenised stratigraphic sequences and characterised by abundant bone fragments pointing to food processing activities, and the late open spaces, which show evidence of the seasonal use of the site for the herding of caprines. Overall, the diachronic comparison of the studied sites indicates a general increase in the intensity of use and spatial structuring of open areas through time, suggesting a shift towards a more logistic settlement system.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union