An ethnoarchaeological investigation in the Gülağaç district and its surroundings

ABSTRACT The present thesis explores the potential of ethnoarchaeology as a methodological and interpretive framework for examining the relationships between contemporary rural practices and prehistoric cultural patterns in the western part of the Volcanic Cappadocia region, particularly within Gülağaç District of Aksaray Province. The objective of the research is to identify and interpret signs of cultural continuity, interaction, and transformation by means of a comparison of ethnographic data derived from modern village life with archaeological evidence from nearby prehistoric settlements. Ethnoarchaeology, a subfield of archaeology, investigates how contemporary material culture and behaviours can inform the interpretation of the archaeological record. In this study, ethnographic data were collected through oral history interviews and direct observations in six rural settlements (Alayhan, Bebek, Çatalsu, Demirci, Doğantarla, Kızılkaya, Pınarbaşı, Saratlı ve Süleyman Höyüğü), which represent a range of ethnic and religious backgrounds. The evaluation of these data was undertaken to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the persistence, modification, or loss of specific cultural practices, including architectural forms, agricultural strategies, storage techniques, ritual behaviours, and landscape perception. The thesis employs a comparative approach, analysing practices observed in present-day rural contexts in light of archaeological data obtained from significant Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites in the region, including Aşıklı Höyük, Balıklı, Musular, Güvercinkayası and Büyük Deller. The present study examines the extent to which traditional knowledge and practices in contemporary communities mirror or diverge from the prehistoric past, and whether these similarities reflect functional, symbolic, or structural continuities. The theoretical framework draws upon anthropological and archaeological scholarship on cultural transmission, memory, identity, and space-use. The concepts of cultural continuity, interaction, and partial transformation are applied not only descriptively but also analytically, thus offering insight into the manner in which communities maintain or negotiate traditions across time. The thesis is structured into five chapters, the first of which outlines the research purpose and methodology. The subsequent chapters then review theoretical literature on relevant disciplines, introduce the archaeological context of the region, present ethnographic findings, and finally offer a comparative evaluation of the results. This research contributes to the broader discourse on the integration of ethnographic knowledge into archaeological interpretation, and demonstrates how local traditions can serve as analogs or counterpoints in understanding prehistoric lifeways. Keywords: Ethnoarchaeology, Material Culture, Settlement Archaeology, Rural Settlement Practices Science Code: 118014 Number of Pages: Author: Nazlı Gül Supervisor: Asistant Prof. Dr. Fadime Işıl Demirtaş