ABSTRACT

Pit clusters have not received systematic attention from archaeologists working in Anatolia and the Near East, in contrast to many other parts of the world. This paper presents a case study of Middle Chalcolithic pits from the prehistoric site of Barcın Höyük in northwestern Anatolia to show how pit clusters, interpreted as underground grain silos, can inform us about ancient food economies, social organization, and inhabited landscapes. It is argued that the silos at Barcın Höyük were used by small family-sized groups to store surplus grain. Dated to the first quarter of the 5th millennium b.c., the silos present evidence for agricultural productivity during a period that has largely eluded archaeological investigation in western Anatolia.

摘要

与世界上许多其他地区相比，在安纳托利亚和近东工作的考古学家并未对井坑群进行系统的关注。本文以安纳托利亚西北部的BarcınHöyük史前遗址中的中石器质岩坑为例，研究了被解释为地下谷粮仓的坑群如何使我们了解古代的食物经济，社会组织和居住景观。据认为，BarcınHöyük的筒仓被小型家庭团体用来储存多余的谷物。筒仓的历史可追溯到公元前五千年的第一季度，这为农业生产力提供了证据，这一时期在很大程度上没有进行安那托利亚西部的考古调查。