Communal Architecture: Regional Perspectives and Local Expressions During the Pre-Pottery Neolithic

This study examines communal architecture in Southwest Asia during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and explores how local and regional diTerences in these non-domestic structures can be explained. The main research question addresses how to account for regional and local variation in communal architecture, supported by three sub-questions: what defines communal architecture as ‘communal’; what diTerences exist between communal buildings in the study area; and how these structures relate to broader settlement patterns and how that relationship evolves over time. Focusing on sites in the Middle Euphrates and Upper Tigris River Valleys (with special attention to: Göbekli Tepe, Nevalı Çori, Karahan Tepe, Sayburç, Sefer Tepe, Hallan Çemi, Boncuklu Tarla, Çayönü, and Gre Fılla), the thesis uses excavation reports and secondary literature to develop a typology based on plan (semicircular versus rectangular), internal features (pillars, buttresses, benches, altars, niches), construction materials...Show moreThis study examines communal architecture in Southwest Asia during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and explores how local and regional diTerences in these non-domestic structures can be explained. The main research question addresses how to account for regional and local variation in communal architecture, supported by three sub-questions: what defines communal architecture as ‘communal’; what diTerences exist between communal buildings in the study area; and how these structures relate to broader settlement patterns and how that relationship evolves over time. Focusing on sites in the Middle Euphrates and Upper Tigris River Valleys (with special attention to: Göbekli Tepe, Nevalı Çori, Karahan Tepe, Sayburç, Sefer Tepe, Hallan Çemi, Boncuklu Tarla, Çayönü, and Gre Fılla), the thesis uses excavation reports and secondary literature to develop a typology based on plan (semicircular versus rectangular), internal features (pillars, buttresses, benches, altars, niches), construction materials (earth and stone), and evidence for rebuilding, reuse, and the deliberate burial or burning of structures when abandonned. The study suggests that a structure can be considered communal when its construction and maintenance require coordinated eTort beyond a single household; when its internal layout, size, and features suggest functions that extend beyond domestic use (e.g., gatherings, rituals, collective storage, performances); and when its location and visibility within the settlement distinguish it from ordinary dwellings. Over time, the study reveals a broad shift from early semi- subterranean, mostly circular or oval communal buildings in the Late Epipaleolithic and PPNA to increasing use of rectangular plans, especially in the PPNB, with many local characteristics and transitional forms. Many structures exhibit a so-called ‘lifecycle’ of construction, modification, and final closure through filling or burning. Regionally, the Middle Euphrates River Valley is characterized by semi-subterranean circular enclosures and, later, rectangular cult buildings featuring T-shaped monolithic pillars, terrazzo or smoothed bedrock floors, and richly detailed animal reliefs. At the same time, the Upper Tigris River Valley displays a more diverse array of communal structures, including stacked-stone pillars or buttresses, four-pillar rectangular plans, benches, stelae, and altars, but no T-shaped monoliths serving as pillars. Despite these diTerences, both regions also share core principles: the use of stone for monumental, often semi-subterranean structures; benches and roof-supporting pillars; carefully prepared floors; and close connections between communal architecture and symbolic imagery. Drawing on Richard Wilk’s concept of ‘common diTerence’, the study concludes that these buildings reflect both shared supra-regional idioms and locally specific traditions. Communal architecture thus emerges as a flexible category of community-centered structures whose variation mirrors environmental conditions, material availability, local building traditions, and diTerent ways of materializing shared beliefs and social relations during the Epipaleolithic- Neolithic transformation in West Asia.Show less

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Communal Architecture: Regional Perspectives and Local Expressions During the Pre-Pottery Neolithic