Shamanism at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Turkey. Methodological contributions to an archaeology of belief

Abstract

The term shamanism is widely used in archaeology to describe early belief systems. Sometimes, this has taken the form of a one-size-fits-all-explanation, without a discussion of the concept or the cultural contexts it was applied to. Recently, the Early Neolithic (9600-7000 BCE) of southwestern Asia has become a focal point of this discussion. Sites like Nevall Çori, Göbekli Tepe, Jerf el Ahmar, Körtik Tepe, Tell Abr'3, Tell Qaramel, Wadi Faynan 16, Karahantepe and Sayburç have produced rich evidence, mostly of an iconographical nature, that seems to offer direct insights into early belief systems. The current contribution uses one of the best researched sites, Göbekli Tepe, as a case study to develop criteria for the identification of shamanism in the archaeological record.