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Articulate Bodies: Forms and Figures at Çatalhöyük

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Abstract

This paper examines the materializing practices of bodies at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük. We focus on the clay and stone figurine corpus (over 1,800 total, with over 1,000 of those being diagnostic), but also consider other media such as wall paintings and sculptured features, as well as the skeletal evidence. This paper is the first attempt to analyze particular bodily characteristics in the Çatalhöyük figurine repertoire from a perspective that investigates, rather than assumes, a priori the representational priorities of their makers. Within a wide range of anthropomorphic and abbreviated figurines, we find that specific areas such as the stomach and buttocks were often clearly delineated and emphasized, whereas demarcation of primary sexual characteristics was typically downplayed. These traits and their material “prominence” might underscore specific bodily areas that have generally been overlooked as potential sites of articulation and attention. Our work challenges older assumptions that figurines were always engaged in projects of either deification or self-making. Instead, we suggest that these body types might mediate other kinds of social concerns and practices.

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Notes

  1. From the 1995–2007 excavations, there has been only one clear instance in which a figurine was cached: one figurine was found in the SE corner of building 65 in a possible placed deposit with equid scapulae, worked bone, one pot sherd, and a baby leg” (Regan 2007). While this example is evocative and may reveal some kind of “magical” gesture (Nakamura 2009), it does not articulate a common treatment of figurines.

  2. While these three categories encompass most of the figurine corpus, the terms “phallomorphic” and “geomorphic” are also used to describe some figurine forms, although often as a secondary designation.

  3. There are a few examples that do push the boundaries of these categories. For instance, we do observe some crossover anthropomorphic forms that are very “abbreviated” in appearance except for having one trait, such as the buttocks, emphasized. The formal designations we have assigned to the figurines, therefore, represent a kind of continuum rather than discrete categories.

  4. Possible exceptions are few and include the famous “mother goddess” figurine flanked by leopards and giving birth from Mellaart’s Shrine A.II.1; however, Mellaart’s interpretation of this figure as giving birth has been disputed (Hodder 2006b: 261). A possible representation of a child with a bearded man occurs in the “great bull” wall painting from Mellaart’s Shrine F.V.1. For adolescent forms, Mellaart’s interpretation of figurines of young men (e.g., “young god” from EV:25, “boy god on leopard” from E.VI.10) must also be questioned. From the current excavations, we have found only one possibly “adolescent” form (13129.X1, see discussion below).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ian Hodder, Shahina Farid, and Tom Aldrich for reading and commenting on various versions of the paper. None of the analysis presented here would have been possible without the constant assistance and patience of Sarah Jones and Mia Ridge. Basak Boz, Chris Doherty, Madeleine Douglas, Claudia Engel, Lori Hager, Simon Hillson, Mike House, Kathryn Killackey, Serena Love, Jason Quinlan, Louise Martin, Roddy Regan, Nerissa Russell, John Swogger, and Lisa Yeomans provided valuable information and support throughout our field seasons.

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  1. Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Carolyn Nakamura & Lynn Meskell

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  1. Carolyn Nakamura
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Correspondence to Lynn Meskell.

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Nakamura, C., Meskell, L. Articulate Bodies: Forms and Figures at Çatalhöyük. J Archaeol Method Theory 16, 205–230 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-009-9070-3

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