Enclosing the settlement or filling the ditch: The case of Aşağı Pınar

Abstract

Ongoing research in the Balkans is revealing the importance of Early Neolithic ditches that enclosed settlements. As the research continues, more information is being uncovered about the ditches. The initial settlement at Aşağı Pinar, layer 7, also features ditches, with two ditches and associated pits found in the last two phases of this layer. However, none of these ditches had any association with settlement units. The stratigraphy and context of the fills suggest a refilling process was involved. The stratification of the fills, along with a large quantity of pottery sherds found in the fills and other finds, strongly suggest that a complex activity involving material culture led to the refilling process. This paper discusses the refilling processes and the purposes of the ditches in the context of Aşağı Pınar. Evidently, the Neolithic ditches were part of a more intricate activity than a mere enclosure system in the beginning of the Neolithic in Balkans.