Weaving in the Chalcolithic Period: The case of Güvercinkaya

Weaving is a productive activity that evolves with the needs of the people and requires regular access to raw materials, technological equipment and therefore knowledge of how to process raw materials and make products. The techniques used in weaving can be identified through a detailed explanation of the material remains that we can follow in the production chain. It is known that weaving tools (spindle, weight, shuttle, etc.) found in archaeological excavations were made from raw materials such as terracotta, bone and stone, which can remain in nature for longer periods of time. It is unlikely that organic remains such as straw, linen, leather and cloth, associated with weaving, have survived to the present day. However, it is possible to find traces of these organic materials in other finds. The earliest traces of weaving date back to the Neolithic period in Anatolia. In the Chalcolithic period, the secondary products such as milk and wool of sheep and goat-like animals started to be used with the effect of the developing herd animal husbandry. The use of animal wool as a raw material for weaving should have allowed the intensification of weaving activities and led to a certain specialisation. The quantitative increase observed in archaeological data on weaving with the Bronze Age brought with it new technological stages. It has been found that the number of studies containing archaeological material related to weaving activity in Anatolia in the Chalcolithic is very small. In this context, the main focus of the research is to contribute to this lack in the Chalcolithic literature. The settlement of Güvercinkayası, located within the borders of Aksaray province, is dated to the Chalcolithic Period. The basis of the research is the direct and indirect evidence of the settlement of Güvercinkayası associated with weaving. The tools associated with weaving, recorded in the small find inventory of the scientific studies carried out in the settlement between 1996 and 2019, have been classified as loom weight, spindle whorl and shuttle. The identified study material is analysed under the headings of raw material distribution and typology, the context in which it was found, its distribution within the settlement and its intended use. The types of scrapers, perforators and other loom-related tools (spatula, needle, spindle, comb, warp adjuster, etc.) used in weaving are presented. The study material was compared with Neolithic and Chalcolithic weaving sites in Central Anatolia, the Lakes Region and Cilicia, and an attempt was made to identify the unique and different aspects.