The Children of Aşıklı Höyük

Year 2024, Issue: 13, 1 - 18, 15.05.2024

Mihriban Özbaşaran , Sera Yelözer , Nurcan Kayacan Güneş Duru

https://doi.org/10.37879/hoyuk.2024.1.001

Abstract

Childhood is the most crucial stage in human life, as well as for the cognitive and technological development of our species. However, earlier traditional archaeological studies have often neglected the role of children in prehistoric societies and focused on the primary socio-economic elements of daily life in prehistory (e.g. agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting-gathering, and various crafts). The picture of a Neolithic village portrayed by archaeologists mostly comprised adults who were engaged in production and subsistence. Children, were seen as passive until they reached a certain age when they became active in production. Increasing ethnographic and archaeological studies however, portray a contrasting picture as they yield insights into the learning and transmission processes of know-how and skills regarding socio-economic activities, technologies, and craft production which suggest that social roles and identities are all formed during childhood. Thus, although the state of research shows that we still have further steps to go, it is clear that a deeper understanding of childhood and children in prehistory is as essential as understanding the world of adults. In such an attempt, this article focuses on the children of Aşıklı Höyük, an Early Neolithic community in Central Anatolia. We briefly discuss the skeletal evidence emerging from the anthropological analyses, and attempt to approach the roles and identities of children through the lens of grave goods and lithic production technologies.

Keywords

Central Anatolia, Cappadocia, Early Neolithic, Aşıklı Höyük, Children

Aşıklı Höyük’ün Çocukları

Abstract

İnsan yaşamında bilişsel ve teknolojik gelişimin en önemli aşaması, çocukluk dönemidir. Buna karşın tarih öncesi toplulukların dünyasında çocuklar, genelde ihmal edilen bir alan olmuştur. Bu konuda araştırma azlığının nedeni, çalışmaların genellikle tarih öncesi toplulukların sosyoekonomik dünyalarını meydana getiren temel aktiviteler olan tarım, hayvancılık, avcılık-toplayıcılık ve çeşitli zanaatlar gibi çoğunlukla fiziksel güç ve bilişsel beceri gerektiren konulara odaklanmış olmasıdır. Bu nedenle, çoğu zaman arkeologlar için, örneğin Neolitik bir köy, besin üretimi ile meşgul olan yetişkin bireylerle özdeştir. Çocuklar ise üretim faaliyetlerinin aktif bir parçası olmaya başladıkları belirli bir yaşa gelene dek toplumun en pasif halkası olarak görülürler. Ancak, etnografik ve arkeolojik çalışmalar, yetişkin bireylerin gündelik sorumluluklara ve zanaatlara ilişkin bilgi ve becerilerinin gelişimi, bireyin seçeceği uzmanlık, topluluk içindeki kimlik ve rollerinin çocukluk döneminde oluşmaya başladığını göstermektedir. Bu nedenle tarih öncesi bir topluluğu anlamak için çocukların dünyasını anlamak en az yetişkin bireyler kadar önemlidir. Bu makale, bundan 10 bin yıl öncelerinde Aşıklı Höyük’te doğan ve ölen çocuklar üzerinedir. Bebek ve çocuklara dair iskelet verilerinin yanı sıra yontma taş (obsidiyen) işçiliği üzerine yürütülen teknolojik analizler sonucunda, çocukların da üretim süreci içerisinde yer aldıkları saptanmış ve böylelikle çocuklar, arkeolojik veriler vasıtasıyla görünür kılınmıştır. Çalışmada, son veriler ışığında, Aşıklı topluluğunun bin yıllık uzun ve kesintisiz iskân tarihinde bebeklerin ve çocukların yeri ve biyolojik ve sosyal kimlikleri ele alınmaktadır.

Keywords

Orta Anadolu, Kapadokya, Erken Neolitik, Aşıklı Höyük, Çocuklar

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