Neolithic Period
The Neolithic period cultivated important material conditions that directly influenced the formation of large towns, great cities, and states in the later, Uruk period of Mesopotamia. These influences can be seen at the earlier site of Catalhoyuk. As the periods shift between Neolithic and the Uruk, drastic changes can be seen between early egalitarian societies in the Neolithic period, and the more complex and massive societies of the Uruk period. Other material conditions that shaped the complex civilization of Uruk included agricultural, political, religious, trade, new inventions and specializations of jobs.
Early evidence at the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk, around the time of 7300 BC in Southwest Asia, foreshadows the emergence of the great and complex society of the state of Uruk. The archaeologist, James Mellaart, discovered and excavated the large site of Catalhoyuk and found evidence that part of its purpose served as a major site for worship of a motherly goddess. Catalhoyuk was situated around streams, which provided a key source of water. Water was an important resource that attracted a large amount of people, within the thousands, to join the community of Catalhoyuk. This community was so large that it could no longer be considered a tribe or village. The community at Catalhoyuk was centered around individual family households that were self-sufficient, who stored their own food and food processing equipment. The people of Catalhoyuk survived off farming and cultivating their own crops and domesticated animals. Mellaart also discovered evidence of large-scale architecture, and burials of people beneath the floors of family households. This evidence leads Mellaart to believe that this community held elaborate belief systems. Uncovering Catalhoyuk’s burial sites showed that selected individuals were those buried beneath the house floors, suggesting a type of individual importance or hierarchy of kinship over others. There is also evidence that the
Early evidence at the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk, around the time of 7300 BC in Southwest Asia, foreshadows the emergence of the great and complex society of the state of Uruk. The archaeologist, James Mellaart, discovered and excavated the large site of Catalhoyuk and found evidence that part of its purpose served as a major site for worship of a motherly goddess. Catalhoyuk was situated around streams, which provided a key source of water. Water was an important resource that attracted a large amount of people, within the thousands, to join the community of Catalhoyuk. This community was so large that it could no longer be considered a tribe or village. The community at Catalhoyuk was centered around individual family households that were self-sufficient, who stored their own food and food processing equipment. The people of Catalhoyuk survived off farming and cultivating their own crops and domesticated animals. Mellaart also discovered evidence of large-scale architecture, and burials of people beneath the floors of family households. This evidence leads Mellaart to believe that this community held elaborate belief systems. Uncovering Catalhoyuk’s burial sites showed that selected individuals were those buried beneath the house floors, suggesting a type of individual importance or hierarchy of kinship over others. There is also evidence that the
Cited: Page Scarre, Christopher. "Chapter 6, Chapter 12." The Human Past: World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. London: Thames & Hudson, 2005. N. pag. Print.