Abstract :
Even though the Neolithic Period used to be interpreted as a time of simple agricultural village communities, in recent years it has started to be defined as a more complex and dynamic phase. It has always been a subject of curiousity how some nomadic hunter-gatherers of the Near East transformed into settled communities; what kind of intellectual, religious, hierarchical and ideological formations and developments these societies went through and which were the dynamics that all these changes were based on. The same matters also constitute the issues analyzed in this article. According to the archaeological evidences brought to light in Çayönü, Hallan Çemi, Nevali Çori and Göbeklitepe, a distinction between domestic and cult buildings can be observed from the very beginning of the Neolithic Period. In fact, it seems that Göbeklitepe was designed just as a cult center. Other than a monumental and symbolic religious architecture, the sculptures and prestige artefacts of the same character show a elaborated, monumental and sophisticated religious art perception, the archaic forms of which we have not quite understood yet. Additionally, the unusual practices to do with the usages of these buildings and artefacts also display complicated ceremonial and cult traditions. The analysis of the mentioned archaeological finds shows that the main element that formed the social structure of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period was a strict and complex belief system. It can be observed that the cult centers and buildings, the social structure consisting of priviliged groups, a “temple economy” that was formed around these centers and the clergy played a great role in the formation of this system. In the Fertile Crescent considered to be the core of the Near East, transition to a settled life, domestication of animals and plants and later on the development, diffuse and decline of this life style, can be linked to the belief system of the period which had already become institutional. The pioneers of the important transformations of mankind seem to have existed in the Fertile Crescent which also contains Southeastern Anatolia beginning from 13-14 thousand years ago. Most of these developments can be considered as a social infrastructure or dynamics that caused urbanism in this area. In addition, it would not be right to think of a specialized complex society with profound class differences for the social structure of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period like we see during the urbanisation period. The Neolithic peoples can be defined as societies which had just started to get a character of complexity rather than being complex, a society where a full time specializing did not exist in the society, and although the people were governed by a privilidged class – most probably by the clergy, it does not seem to be a fully organized society. According to the writer of this article, this elite class of Northern Mesopotamia and this oppressive belief and administration system settled into the region’s genes could not have totally dissappeared. These groups and the mentality represented by them may have come to life once again as catalysts in the Ubaid phase in Southern Mesopotamia and they may have even leaded the temple economy formed around the religious centers together with the urbanisation period. Furthermore, the strict tribal system that we see even today after thousands of years in Southeastern Anatolia may be an extension of this system that appeared at the beginning of the Neolithic Period. And this is probably a “gift / inheritance” to us left by Neolithic Period of this region.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Anatolia , Pre , Pottery Neolitihic Age , Southeastern Anatolia , Göbekli Tepe , Religion , Social Structure
