A Queer Feminist Perspective on the Early Neolithic Urfa Region

The Ecstatic Agency of the Phallus

Bibliographic Data

ID6045124
AuthorsEmre Deniz Yurttaş (0000-0003-3961-3325, Koç University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume35
Issue3
Pages489-503
Publication date2025-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCambridge Archaeological Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-7743 • E-ISSN: 1474-0540
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0959774325000083
OpenAlexW4408847484
LanguageEN
References cited74

The archaeological settlements of the Early Neolithic Urfa region in Türkiye have garnered academic and public interest since the 1990s due to their large-scale stone architecture and rich iconography, particularly featuring phallic imagery. While mainstream narratives suggest a male-centred society in the region, feminist and queer theory approach such interpretations with a critical eye. By challenging traditional ‘male-centred society’ narratives through the lens of queer and feminist theories, this study offers a critique of existing methodologies that fail to historicize archaeological data. By recontextualizing the phallic iconography through the lens of sexuality, this study proposes a new interpretation: the phallus was not a symbol of male power, but an agent facilitating spiritual transcendence, enabling ecstatic experiences and serving as a conduit between the material and spiritual realms

Art · Biology · Genealogy · Male genitalia · Queer · Social science · Sociology · Visual arts · Zoology · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Gender Studies · History

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