Mellaarts Excavation of Catalhoyuk'

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Mellaarts Excavation of Catalhoyuk.
Researcher Doug Newby Assistant Jonathan
Trunnell Section 110 Excavation Week
from Mellaart 1967
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Enter Mellaart
I, Mellaart, hunger to fill in the gaps of
Neolithic history!
The one true and knowable history of humanity is
waiting to be discovered by me.
I WILL find the oldest Neolithic city!
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Then, in 1952, his chance came!
First, Mellaart suspects that Hacilar, across the
river from Catal, must have come from somewhere.
Meanwhile, Catal had recently been discovered
nearby, but only unofficially and certainly none
knew of its significance.
As the dig at Hacilar was completed, and the well
of discoveries and funding began to run dry,
Mellaarts eye turned to Catal Mound.
Leading up to the start of his dig in 1961,
Mellaart formulates his stated reasons to
dig 1) Fill in the cultural gaps at Hacilar 2)
It is the best opportunity to explore Neolithic
cultures 3) Fill in geographical gaps between
Hacilar and Mersin
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And in 1960, it began
My success is ever increasing! I, Mellaart,
shall excavate a huge number of houses and have
limitless funding!
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And The Hole Was Shaped Thusly...
Excavation Dimensions
17.5m
150m
150m
The hole was 17.5 meters deep and covered an acre.
From Mellaart 1967
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It was shaped as such for these reasons
The holes depth and breadth indicate a speedy
excavation, trying to uncover the broad history
of Catalhoyuk as quickly as possible.
Mellaart was relatively disinterested in the
minutia of day to day life.
He was forced to close the site for a year in
1964 to allow conservation work, indicating a
focus more on documentation than on preservation.
Mellaart dug on the North East face because he
figured that the oldest section of the city would
be closest to the river. He was very interesting
in finding the oldest Neolithic site, so this
makes a lot of sense.
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Bibliography

• Chadwick, Adrian
• 1989 Archaeology at the Edge of Chaos Further
  Toward Reflexive Excavation Methodologies.
  Assemblage 3 http//www.shef.ac.uk/assem/3/3chad
  .htm 
• Farid, Shahina
• 2000 The Excavation Process at Catalhoyuk. in
  Towards a Reflexive Methodology
• Mellaart, James
• 1967 Catal Huyuk A Neolithic Town in Anatolia.
  London and Southampton, The Camelot Press Ltd