Dissertation

An ethnoarchaeological study of subsistence and plant gathering in central Anatolia

Ertug-Yaras, Fusun

1997

Overview

Detailed analysis of the traditional subsistence economy in a modern village in Central Anatolia, Turkey, was undertaken to aid interpretation of an archaeological site nearby. The modern village is Kizilkaya, in the province of Aksaray in the Melendiz Plain, one kilometer north of the prehistoric aceramic site of Asikli, served by the same catchment area. Kizilkaya and the surrounding villages are known to have been settled for at least 500 years, and many techniques employed before modernization are still in use or still accurately remembered. Traditional subsistence economy is defined here as a pre-market economy, in which people live basically on what they produce and collect in their own areas. It includes activities such as traditional farming, herding, gathering, hunting, fishing, and local barter. Documentation of plant gathering makes up the largest part of this study, as it is most relevant to subsistence in a prehistoric, early agricultural society. The importance of wild plants to a fully agricultural modern society has significant implications for archaeology. The large number of useful plants recorded as a result of my study--250 plant species in over 600 samples--indicates that the archaeobotanical remains represent only a fraction of potential plant use in the past, and our means for interpreting archaeobotanical remains is very limited if a local ethnobotanical study is not done in conjunction with the archaeological project. The role of plant gathering in a subsistence economy, scheduling with other economic activities, and its dietary role, as well as its importance in risk management strategies for rural populations are not well documented in Turkey. Studying plant gathering also highlights the contributions of women to the economy, and the survival of the group. Kizilkaya data provide an exceptional opportunity for comparison with archaeobotanical remains from Asikli, as well as those from many other Near Eastern sites. Other aspects of the traditional subsistence economy, such as animal husbandry, agriculture, and food preparation methods, also contribute valuable insights about prehistoric diet and subsistence.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Archaeology / Cultural anthropology / Folklore / Womens studies
• ISBN: 9780591403398, 0591403390