Barcın Höyük in Interregional Perspective: An Initial Assessment

Using Barcın Höyük (Bursa province, Turkey), a Late Neolithic settlement that spans six centuries from 6600–6000 BC, as the main case-study, this chapter addresses questions of the northwestern spread of Neolithic communities from the mid-seventh millennium onwards. Presented here is the idea that the inhabitants that settled Barcın Höyük in the earliest levels of habitation were migrant pioneers, although it is too early to be certain about their point of origin. We compare the multifarious lines of data regarding architectural features, faunal data, and pottery styles known from Barcın Höyük to assess the similarities and differences with other published sites. However, rather than providing clarity on these issues, this first assessment mainly aims to draw attention to some parallel developments. Overall, this initial analysis does suggest that within a few centuries of their arrival, the inhabitants of Barcın Höyük participated in multiple spheres of interaction and exchange of knowledge, practices, and ideas.