General Information

Çatalhöyük Vegetal-Tempered Coarse Ware is one of four wares found in Pisidia, specifically the Konya Basin, during what is being called the Early Tradition of the Neolithic in this area. All four of these early Neolithic wares appear to be made from lacustrine clay sources close to the sites. All fragments have a wide grey firing core, which is evidence of under-firing and/or an uncontrolled open fire. The may be the reason for the poorly preserved surfaces.

Çatalhöyük Vegetal-Tempered Coarse Ware originates in domestic contexts, in the earliest ceramic levels at Çatalhöyük (XII to VII) termed the Early Tradition and has a small presence in what is termed the Middle Tradition. This ware constitutes 76% of the Early Tradition assemblage and were first excavated in the 1960s by James Mellaart and later also in the excavations of Ian Hodder, beginning in 1993. This ware differs from the contemporary Çatalhöyük Gritty Coarse Ware in that it includes a straw material or other vegetal matter for temper. Vessels have thick walls and a coarse, spongy and porous texture with abundant inclusions in the fabric. Surfaces are mottled, possibly due to poor preservation. Many preserved surfaces are simply wet-smoothed, but some also have traces of poor-quality burnishing. In some cases there are traces of a red or buff slip. In an earlier study, Jonathan Last identified Çatalhöyük Vegetal-Tempered Coarse Ware as Group 1 Organic-tempered fabric (Last 1996, pp. 103-4).

Attested shapes are deep and shallow bowls. All have thick-walls and thick-bases ranging from 1-2.5cm. The bowls vary in body shape and rim treatment. There are six variants: deep and shallow bowls with convex or globular body and slightly in-turned rim; deep and shallow bowls with upright walls and straight rims; hemispherical bowls, and cone-shaped bowls (Özdöl, 2012, 7-12, 18-24, 87).

Çatalhöyük Vegetal-Tempered Coarse Ware vessels are made of a local lacustrine clay and contain vegetal temper (straw) and mineral inclusions. The clay includes dense, fine calcite particles and shell fragments. Fabric colors vary from light brown, light grey, and buff. Surfaces are often mottled, and range from light or dark brown, light or dark grey, buff, and red (rare), sometimes with traces of red or buff slip. When unslipped, surfaces appear to be wet smoothed. Most are burnished (Özdöl, 2012, 18-24).