Çiğdem Atakuman
Biographic Data
| ID | 659744 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Çiğdem Atakuman |
| GIVEN NAMES | Çiğdem |
| FAMILY NAME | Atakuman |
| SIGNATURE | ATAKUMAN Ç |
| AFFILIATIONS | Middle East Technical University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8675-6236 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 57 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 14 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Simulacra of the ancestors: The Neolithic Packageas a reconfiguration of ‘skull cults’
The ‘skull cults’ of the Neolithic Near East have long attracted scholarly attention but are often treated as an isolated regional phenomenon. This study explores their deeper origins and broader connections by examining material culture and symbolic practices from c. 150 000 to 8000 BP across Europe and the Near East. Using multifactorial statistical analyses of 32 features covering demography, body treatment, burial contexts, and grave goods fr…
Süberde Höyük Obsidiyenlerinin Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi: Tekno-Tipoloji ve Kaynaklar Hakkında İlk Bulgular
Bu makale, Konya’nın Beyşehir-Suğla havzasında bir geç Çanak Çömleksiz Neolitik yerleşim yeri olan Süberde’nin obsidiyen kaynak analizlerinin ilk bulgularını sunmaktadır. Çalışmada kullanılan obsidiyen örnekler 1960’larda Jacques Bordaz tarafından Süberde yerleşmesinde yürütülen arkeolojik kazı çalışmaları sırasında ortaya çıkarılmış ve daha sonra Konya Müzesi’nde koruma altına alınmıştır. Bu çalışmalardan yaklaşık 60 yıl sonra ziyaret ettiğimiz …
Zoomorphic imagery and social process during the Early Bronze Age: The case of Koçumbeli-Ankara
Through the agency of animals, we think about our identity, landscape and society, and therefore animal imagery holds a special place in approaches to human thought. Through a study of the zoomorphic figurine assemblage recorded at the Early Bronze Age site of Koçumbeli-Ankara, we argue that the zoomorphic figurines of this time period were produced through a meaningful linking of particular images and raw materials to particular use contexts. Fo…
Techno-typology and provenance of the obsidian chipped stones from Sofular Höyük, an Early Neolithic settlement near the Kızılırmak in Central Anatolia
Recent excavations at Sofular Höyük (Nevsehir, central Turkey) uncovered Aceramic Neolithic deposits dating to the late 9th and early 8th millennium cal BC and a lithic industry almost entirely made of obsidian. This study focuses on the techno-typology of this lithic assemblage and provides a first look at the material procurement strategies through geochemical characterization. Our results show that Sofular Höyük shares many general techno-typo…
New insights into the Mesolithic use of Melos obsidian in Anatolia: A pXRF analysis from the Bozburun Peninsula (southwest Turkey)
A Haunted Landscape and Its Drained Souls: The Last Rush to Heritage and Archaeology in Turkey
Although the ultimate aim of the dominant heritage discourse and practice is to preserve culture in a way that contributes to peace and human prosperity, its paradoxical outcome has been to erase the variety of ways that people can relate to the past and to normalize ethnic and religious conflicts as well as globally deepening inequalities of class, race and gender. In this context, searching for civilization in the past has become an increasingl…
Digging Pits and Making Places at Uğurlu During the Sixth Millennium Bc
The site of Uğurlu on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros) is the earliest known Neolithic settlement within the Aegean Islands (c.6800–4500 cal. BC). In total, 37 pits, associated with a rich variety of artefacts as well as human and animal bones were excavated in the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic levels of the site (c.5900–4500 BC ). The pits belonging to the early sixth millennium BC levels of Uğurlu were small and located within the houses…
Before the Neolithic in the Aegean: The Pleistocene and the Early Holocene record of Bozburun - Southwest Turkey
The renewed Mesolithic research in the Greek mainland and the islands has been providing new insights into the lively maritime activity within the region; however, the southwest coast of Turkey has been virtually devoid of related investigations until the commencement of the Bozburun Prehistoric Survey project in 2017. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the prehistoric sites discovered at the Bozburun Peninsula during the 2017–2019 f…
Figurines of the Anatolian Early Bronze Age: The assemblage from Koçumbeli-Ankara
Through analysis of a figurine assemblage from the site of Koçumbeli-Ankara, this study aims to re-evaluate the origins, meanings and functions of the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BC) anthropomorphic figurines of Anatolia. Conventional typological approaches to figurines are often focused on their origins and sex; however, such approaches hinder an understanding of the context of the norms of production, display and discard within which the…
From Monuments to Miniatures: Emergence of Stamps and Related Image-bearing Objects during the Neolithic
In southwest Asia, the emphasis on architecture and burial ritual, which was instrumental in the construction of place-bound identities during the Early Neolithic (c. 10,000–7000 cal. bc), shifted toward an emphasis on miniature portable objects, such as figurines, stamps and ceramics, during the Later Neolithic (c. 7000–5000 cal. bc). Through a focus on stamps, this article argues that the appearance and proliferation of image-bearing portable o…
Architectural Discourse and Social Transformation During the Early Neolithic of Southeast Anatolia
Deciphering Later Neolithic stamp seal imagery of Northern Mesopotamia
Stamps, pendants and related image bearing objects of the Near Eastern Neolithic are commonly treated as markers of property control and as precursors of writing. Through a basic stylistic analysis of image and shape relations, this study focuses on material from later 7th and the 6th millennium BC Northern Mesopotamian sites in an attempt to understand the symbolic role of stamps within the wider context of social practice. I suggest that the st…
Value of Heritage in Turkey: History and Politics of Turkey’s World Heritage Nominations
Following Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession into the European Union, EU expansion has reached its final frontier with the process of Turkey’s prospective integration, through which both Europe’s and Turkey’s respective cultural identities have been under negotiation. From a European perspective, Turkey, with its culture, religion, and pseudo-democracy, may appear seriously to challenge some of the most fundamental values of Europeanness. In fact…
Cradle or crucible: Anatolia and archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic (1923-1938)
The Turkish History Thesis of the 1930s played an influential role in the construction of the discipline of archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic. The Thesis argued that the Turks belonged to a high culture that brought civilization to many parts of the world through episodes of migration from their original homeland in Central Asia. Following the launch of the first series of state-supported excavations in 1933, the arguments of…
Cradle or crucible: Anatolia and archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic (1923-1938)
The Turkish History Thesis of the 1930s played an influential role in the construction of the discipline of archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic. The Thesis argued that the Turks belonged to a high culture that brought civilization to many parts of the world through episodes of migration from their original homeland in Central Asia. Following the launch of the first series of state-supported excavations in 1933, the arguments of…
Value of Heritage in Turkey: History and Politics of Turkey’s World Heritage Nominations
Following Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession into the European Union, EU expansion has reached its final frontier with the process of Turkey’s prospective integration, through which both Europe’s and Turkey’s respective cultural identities have been under negotiation. From a European perspective, Turkey, with its culture, religion, and pseudo-democracy, may appear seriously to challenge some of the most fundamental values of Europeanness. In fact…
Architectural Discourse and Social Transformation During the Early Neolithic of Southeast Anatolia
From Monuments to Miniatures: Emergence of Stamps and Related Image-bearing Objects during the Neolithic
In southwest Asia, the emphasis on architecture and burial ritual, which was instrumental in the construction of place-bound identities during the Early Neolithic (c. 10,000–7000 cal. bc), shifted toward an emphasis on miniature portable objects, such as figurines, stamps and ceramics, during the Later Neolithic (c. 7000–5000 cal. bc). Through a focus on stamps, this article argues that the appearance and proliferation of image-bearing portable o…
Before the Neolithic in the Aegean: The Pleistocene and the Early Holocene record of Bozburun - Southwest Turkey
The renewed Mesolithic research in the Greek mainland and the islands has been providing new insights into the lively maritime activity within the region; however, the southwest coast of Turkey has been virtually devoid of related investigations until the commencement of the Bozburun Prehistoric Survey project in 2017. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the prehistoric sites discovered at the Bozburun Peninsula during the 2017–2019 f…
Digging Pits and Making Places at Uğurlu During the Sixth Millennium Bc
The site of Uğurlu on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros) is the earliest known Neolithic settlement within the Aegean Islands (c.6800–4500 cal. BC). In total, 37 pits, associated with a rich variety of artefacts as well as human and animal bones were excavated in the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic levels of the site (c.5900–4500 BC ). The pits belonging to the early sixth millennium BC levels of Uğurlu were small and located within the houses…
New insights into the Mesolithic use of Melos obsidian in Anatolia: A pXRF analysis from the Bozburun Peninsula (southwest Turkey)
A Haunted Landscape and Its Drained Souls: The Last Rush to Heritage and Archaeology in Turkey
Although the ultimate aim of the dominant heritage discourse and practice is to preserve culture in a way that contributes to peace and human prosperity, its paradoxical outcome has been to erase the variety of ways that people can relate to the past and to normalize ethnic and religious conflicts as well as globally deepening inequalities of class, race and gender. In this context, searching for civilization in the past has become an increasingl…
Figurines of the Anatolian Early Bronze Age: The assemblage from Koçumbeli-Ankara
Through analysis of a figurine assemblage from the site of Koçumbeli-Ankara, this study aims to re-evaluate the origins, meanings and functions of the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BC) anthropomorphic figurines of Anatolia. Conventional typological approaches to figurines are often focused on their origins and sex; however, such approaches hinder an understanding of the context of the norms of production, display and discard within which the…
Deciphering Later Neolithic stamp seal imagery of Northern Mesopotamia
Stamps, pendants and related image bearing objects of the Near Eastern Neolithic are commonly treated as markers of property control and as precursors of writing. Through a basic stylistic analysis of image and shape relations, this study focuses on material from later 7th and the 6th millennium BC Northern Mesopotamian sites in an attempt to understand the symbolic role of stamps within the wider context of social practice. I suggest that the st…
Cradle or crucible: Anatolia and archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic (1923-1938)
The Turkish History Thesis of the 1930s played an influential role in the construction of the discipline of archaeology in the early years of the Turkish Republic. The Thesis argued that the Turks belonged to a high culture that brought civilization to many parts of the world through episodes of migration from their original homeland in Central Asia. Following the launch of the first series of state-supported excavations in 1933, the arguments of…
Value of Heritage in Turkey: History and Politics of Turkey’s World Heritage Nominations
Following Bulgaria’s and Romania’s accession into the European Union, EU expansion has reached its final frontier with the process of Turkey’s prospective integration, through which both Europe’s and Turkey’s respective cultural identities have been under negotiation. From a European perspective, Turkey, with its culture, religion, and pseudo-democracy, may appear seriously to challenge some of the most fundamental values of Europeanness. In fact…
Deciphering Later Neolithic stamp seal imagery of Northern Mesopotamia
Stamps, pendants and related image bearing objects of the Near Eastern Neolithic are commonly treated as markers of property control and as precursors of writing. Through a basic stylistic analysis of image and shape relations, this study focuses on material from later 7th and the 6th millennium BC Northern Mesopotamian sites in an attempt to understand the symbolic role of stamps within the wider context of social practice. I suggest that the st…
Architectural Discourse and Social Transformation During the Early Neolithic of Southeast Anatolia
From Monuments to Miniatures: Emergence of Stamps and Related Image-bearing Objects during the Neolithic
In southwest Asia, the emphasis on architecture and burial ritual, which was instrumental in the construction of place-bound identities during the Early Neolithic (c. 10,000–7000 cal. bc), shifted toward an emphasis on miniature portable objects, such as figurines, stamps and ceramics, during the Later Neolithic (c. 7000–5000 cal. bc). Through a focus on stamps, this article argues that the appearance and proliferation of image-bearing portable o…
Figurines of the Anatolian Early Bronze Age: The assemblage from Koçumbeli-Ankara
Through analysis of a figurine assemblage from the site of Koçumbeli-Ankara, this study aims to re-evaluate the origins, meanings and functions of the Early Bronze Age (third millennium BC) anthropomorphic figurines of Anatolia. Conventional typological approaches to figurines are often focused on their origins and sex; however, such approaches hinder an understanding of the context of the norms of production, display and discard within which the…
Before the Neolithic in the Aegean: The Pleistocene and the Early Holocene record of Bozburun - Southwest Turkey
The renewed Mesolithic research in the Greek mainland and the islands has been providing new insights into the lively maritime activity within the region; however, the southwest coast of Turkey has been virtually devoid of related investigations until the commencement of the Bozburun Prehistoric Survey project in 2017. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the prehistoric sites discovered at the Bozburun Peninsula during the 2017–2019 f…
New insights into the Mesolithic use of Melos obsidian in Anatolia: A pXRF analysis from the Bozburun Peninsula (southwest Turkey)
A Haunted Landscape and Its Drained Souls: The Last Rush to Heritage and Archaeology in Turkey
Although the ultimate aim of the dominant heritage discourse and practice is to preserve culture in a way that contributes to peace and human prosperity, its paradoxical outcome has been to erase the variety of ways that people can relate to the past and to normalize ethnic and religious conflicts as well as globally deepening inequalities of class, race and gender. In this context, searching for civilization in the past has become an increasingl…
Digging Pits and Making Places at Uğurlu During the Sixth Millennium Bc
The site of Uğurlu on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros) is the earliest known Neolithic settlement within the Aegean Islands (c.6800–4500 cal. BC). In total, 37 pits, associated with a rich variety of artefacts as well as human and animal bones were excavated in the Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic levels of the site (c.5900–4500 BC ). The pits belonging to the early sixth millennium BC levels of Uğurlu were small and located within the houses…
Zoomorphic imagery and social process during the Early Bronze Age: The case of Koçumbeli-Ankara
Through the agency of animals, we think about our identity, landscape and society, and therefore animal imagery holds a special place in approaches to human thought. Through a study of the zoomorphic figurine assemblage recorded at the Early Bronze Age site of Koçumbeli-Ankara, we argue that the zoomorphic figurines of this time period were produced through a meaningful linking of particular images and raw materials to particular use contexts. Fo…
Techno-typology and provenance of the obsidian chipped stones from Sofular Höyük, an Early Neolithic settlement near the Kızılırmak in Central Anatolia
Recent excavations at Sofular Höyük (Nevsehir, central Turkey) uncovered Aceramic Neolithic deposits dating to the late 9th and early 8th millennium cal BC and a lithic industry almost entirely made of obsidian. This study focuses on the techno-typology of this lithic assemblage and provides a first look at the material procurement strategies through geochemical characterization. Our results show that Sofular Höyük shares many general techno-typo…
Süberde Höyük Obsidiyenlerinin Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi: Tekno-Tipoloji ve Kaynaklar Hakkında İlk Bulgular
Bu makale, Konya’nın Beyşehir-Suğla havzasında bir geç Çanak Çömleksiz Neolitik yerleşim yeri olan Süberde’nin obsidiyen kaynak analizlerinin ilk bulgularını sunmaktadır. Çalışmada kullanılan obsidiyen örnekler 1960’larda Jacques Bordaz tarafından Süberde yerleşmesinde yürütülen arkeolojik kazı çalışmaları sırasında ortaya çıkarılmış ve daha sonra Konya Müzesi’nde koruma altına alınmıştır. Bu çalışmalardan yaklaşık 60 yıl sonra ziyaret ettiğimiz …
Simulacra of the ancestors: The Neolithic Packageas a reconfiguration of ‘skull cults’
The ‘skull cults’ of the Neolithic Near East have long attracted scholarly attention but are often treated as an isolated regional phenomenon. This study explores their deeper origins and broader connections by examining material culture and symbolic practices from c. 150 000 to 8000 BP across Europe and the Near East. Using multifactorial statistical analyses of 32 features covering demography, body treatment, burial contexts, and grave goods fr…
Archaeology (12 works) · Geography (10 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (9 works) · History (8 works) · History (7 works) · Ancient Near East History (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Art (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Politics (5 works)