Paper short abstract:

The transmission of memories is restricted to a few generations, unless aided by specific technologies. It is argued that in the central Anatolian Neolithic building continuity was used to create specific links with the past that were important in the constitution of society. This phenomenon will be explored for the sites of Aşıklı Höyük and Çatalhöyük.

Paper long abstract:

The transmission of specific memories through time is generally restricted to a few generations at most, unless aided by specific technologies or practices. In the context of the central Anatolian Neolithic it can be argued that building continuity was used to create specific links with the past revolving on the built environment. These links were of importance in the constitution of society in this cultural horizon, and it can be argued that we are dealing with 'house societies'.

In this paper I will explore two central Anatolian Neolithic sites: Aşıklı Höyük and Çatalhöyük, where we can observe how buildings developed over the course of centuries. Whereas at Aşıklı Höyük buildings seem to be diligently copied in each building episode, at Çatalhöyük we can observe a transformation of domestic buildings into buildings that where the focus of ritual activities of large groups of people. Drawing on the studies of Lévi-Strauss and Bloch, it will be postulated that people at these two sites held divergent views of their histories.