Research has identified Northwest Turkey as a key region for the development of dairying inthe seventh millennium BCE, yet little is known about how this practice began or evolvedthere. This... Show moreResearch has identified Northwest Turkey as a key region for the development of dairying inthe seventh millennium BCE, yet little is known about how this practice began or evolvedthere. This research studies Barcın Ho¨yu¨ k, a site located in Bursa’s Yenişehir Valley, whichranges chronologically from 6600 BCE, when the first evidence of settled life appears in theMarmara Region, to 6000 BCE, when Neolithic habitation at the site ceases. Using potterysherds diagnostic by vessel category and type, this paper aims at identifying which onesmay have been primarily used to store, process, or consume dairy products. Organic residueanalysis of selected samples helped address the process of adoption and intensificationof milk processing in this region over time. The lipid residue data discussed in this paperderive from 143 isotopic results subsampled from 173 organic residues obtained from 805Neolithic potsherds and suggest that bowls and four-lugged pots may have been preferredcontainers for processing milk. The discovery of abundant milk residues even among theearliest ceramics indicates that the pioneer farmers arrived in the region already with theknowhow of dairying and milk processing. In fact, these skills and the reliance on secondaryproducts may have given them one of the necessary tools to successfully venture into theunfarmed lands of Northwest Anatolia in the first place. Show less
Verhoeven, M.; Gerritsen, F.A.; Arslan, A.; Cecchetti, A.; Özçakır, Ö. 2023
The ancient Valens Aqueduct in the metropolis of Istanbul, Türkiye, has the potential to raise public awareness of historical water management as well as of current and future water supply... Show moreThe ancient Valens Aqueduct in the metropolis of Istanbul, Türkiye, has the potential to raise public awareness of historical water management as well as of current and future water supply challenges. This monument stands as a highly visible remnant of what was once the longest water supply line of the Roman world. Although recognized and preserved as a heritage object testifying to its multilayered history, it has lost its original function and its relationship to water management. We present a program that aims to develop solutions for revitalizing its tangible and intangible values as a prime example of water supply, management and culture through the ages. In this way, this heritage object can regain a connection with water, and water can become an engine for sustainable development. Show less
What are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangible and intangible values as well as their potential to achieve urban inclusivity, sustainability,... Show moreWhat are the ways that industrial heritage places are transformed, both considering their tangible and intangible values as well as their potential to achieve urban inclusivity, sustainability, circularity as well as public engagement? The present book is one of the outcomes of the inaugural program of NIT Urban Heritage Lab. Following an introduction on the course, its scope and aims, it showcases the four proposals that the participants of the Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities Course developed for the transformation of the Unkapanı Flour Mill. The proposals are original, thought-provoking and inspirational, while at the same time based on solid multi-disciplinary, collaborative work. So, they are perfect demonstrations of what NIT Urban Heritage Lab tries to achieve. Show less
Balcı H.; Özbal, R.; Gerritsen, F.A.; Fidan E. 2022
The Neolithic way of life was first established in Northwest Anatolia before the middle of the 7th millennium BC. The recently excavated sites of Barcın Höyük and Bahçelievler have yielded... Show moreThe Neolithic way of life was first established in Northwest Anatolia before the middle of the 7th millennium BC. The recently excavated sites of Barcın Höyük and Bahçelievler have yielded archaeological evidence for the earliest Neolithic levels in the region and provide new archaeobotanical datasets. To compare different adaptations to the changes brought on by the Neolithization processes, we studied 348 archaeobotanical samples from Phases VIe and VId1 at Barcın and 63 samples from the contemporaneous levels, Phase 6 and Phase 5, at Bahçelievler. The economic plants include hulled and naked six-row barley, einkorn, emmer, bread/hard wheat, small-sized naked wheat, lentil, bitter vetch, pea, chickpea, flax, hazelnut, bramble, and pistacia. Our analyses show small but significant differences between the sites in the selected economic plant ranges, among the cereals, pulses as well as gathered plants. Show less
In the autumn of 2021, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) offered a post-graduate course addressing the challenges and possibilities for the transformation of industrial heritage from a... Show moreIn the autumn of 2021, the Netherlands Institute in Turkey (NIT) offered a post-graduate course addressing the challenges and possibilities for the transformation of industrial heritage from a multi-disciplinary perspective. With a focus on Istanbul's industrial heritage, the course entitled "Industrial Heritage for Sustainable Cities" aimed to explore issues relevant to industrial heritage worldwide. The course took place partly online (lectures and discussions), partly on-site in Istanbul (field trips, study groups and workshops), and was open to early-career professionals or researchers of any discipline from higher education institutions in the Netherlands and Turkey. The course was organized as part of the NIT Urban Heritage Lab. Here we review the course's aims, format, and outcomes and reflect on the potential and limitations of an international, hybrid course on a topical cultural heritage theme. Show less
Marchi, N.; Winkelbach, L.; Schulz, I.; Brami, M.; Hofmanová, Z.; Blöcher, J.; ... ; Excoffier, L. 2022
The precise genetic origins of the first Neolithic farming populations in Europe and Southwest Asia, as well as the processes and the timing of their differentiation, remain largely unknown.... Show moreThe precise genetic origins of the first Neolithic farming populations in Europe and Southwest Asia, as well as the processes and the timing of their differentiation, remain largely unknown. Demogenomic modeling of high-quality ancient genomes reveals that the early farmers of Anatolia and Europe emerged from a multiphase mixing of a Southwest Asian population with a strongly bottlenecked western hunter-gatherer population after the last glacial maximum. Moreover, the ancestors of the first farmers of Europe and Anatolia wentthrough a period of extreme genetic drift during their westward range expansion, contributing highly to their genetic distinctiveness. This modeling elucidates the demographic processes at the root of the Neolithic transition and leads to a spatial interpretation of the population history of Southwest Asia and Europe duringthe late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Show less
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... Show morePit 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. Show less
