| Entry: | Today was short working day. I continued with the work on the buttress U. 16858 and taking samples out of it. During the filling of bags for samples, flotation and analysis no changes occurred within the buttress. Its interior had the same features as those we determined on the frontal part, with regular material used during the preparation of mud brick. Regarding material it is worth to be noted that I found another figurine. It was unbaked clay figurine with rather abstract outlook with particular resemblance to human body. These days I will check the data base of East Mound figurines in order to see if some similar were found in the earlier Neolithic phases of Catalhoyuk. The quantity of figurines found along with other material in the buttress of several buildings of West Mound indicates some more serious consideration which will be stressed bellow.
Anyway, the labor part day was finalized with the cleaning of complete trench as we had guests from the East Mound and labs. Peter, Jana and Jacob had excellent introduction to the site and its cultural and architectural significance. After our hospitality at the trench was completed we headed towards East Mound trenches where we saw amazingly excavated and understood buildings and burials. The presence in the South Shelter and in the North one inspired me for a different West Mound perspective. Apparently all buildings in the East Mound are of mud brick and without inclusion of cultural material (pottery, obsidian, figurine, bones etc.). The presence of such material within West Mound mud bricks, which by numerous artifacts can be also dated as Neolithic common to the East Mound, indicates intentional provision of clay from a place with particular significance to people of West Mound. It should be further discussed if such inclusion of Neolithic shards, bones and figurines was done in order a symbolic relationship to be confirmed among ‘Chalcolithic’ West Mound people and their East Mound descendants i.e. the place where they come from? Additional research and analysis will significantly contribute towards confirmation or discarding such hypothesis.
We played football before dinner. Teams with players of mixed research teams were facing each other in both mental and physical ‘battle’. I was playing together with Idriz, Onur, Inan. Ramazan, Matej and Rebecca as only girl in this match. It was amazing that she was the one which finalized the match with our victory as penalties after regular two half scores of 9:9 were shooted. It’s nice to finalize such friendly interaction with Mardi Pras party. Night behind masks will bring another glimpse of mystery:-) |
