Charcoal analysis and the reconstruction of ancient woodland vegetation in the Konya Basin, south-central Anatolia, Turkey: Results from the neolithic site of Çatalhöyük East

Abstract

The results produced by charcoal analysis are used in conjunction with pollen evidence, geomorphological data and ecological analogues, in order to reconstruct ancient woodland vegetation in the Konya Basin and its surroundings during the Neolithic. Emphasis is placed on the structure, diversity and seasonal habit of different vegetation types, as well as their potential response to natural and/or anthropogenic disturbance. It is argued that such an approach to vegetation reconstruction enables better insights into palaeoenvironments as experienced by human groups in the past, and thus offers fruitful avenues for investigating the relationship of human societies with the natural environment.