Sedentary lifestyle in the Early Neolithic group in Körtik Tepe: A study on the morphometry of teeth

In the transition to sedentary life during prehistoric communities, the lifestyles of archaeological societies that existed in the past have consistently been a subject of curiosity. In our study, an attempt has been made to create an impression about the intra-group dynamics of the hunter-gatherer-fisher Late Epipaleolithic-Early Neolithic period inhabitants of the Körtik Tepe settlement. The aim of the study is to shed light on why the people of Körtik Tepe may have chosen this settlement located at the intersection of the Batman Çayı and Dicle River in the Bismil District of Diyarbakır and to provide insights into which genetic group of people may have settled in the area. There are various explanations, primarily including feasting, trade, warfare, or environmental factors such as ecological disruptions, rituals, and broad food resources, for why the early settlers might have chosen to establish themselves. These explanations significantly relate to the reasons why human communities came together and how this contributed to sedentism. However, most of the existing data supporting these explanations are based on archaeological and ethnographic theoretical accounts. DNA studies have not yet provided enough data to solve this issue. Teeth, with their high heritability, have the potential to shed light on this issue. In this context, the aim of the study is to understand the intra-group dynamics of individuals unearthed from the Körtik Tepe settlement. In our methodology, both nonmetric and metric traits of teeth were utilized. For nonmetric traits, ASUDAS (Arizona State Dental Anthropology System) was utilized, and for metric traits, the mesio-distal, bucco-lingual, and occlusal crown dimensions of the teeth were used. Analyses were conducted on the data sets using polar teeth. In the study, which comprised a sample of 153 individuals, after conducting preliminary analyses, analyses were performed by calculating Mahalanobis and Euclidean distances. According to the results of the repeated analyses conducted, it is observed that the Körtik Tepe settlement is homogeneous, and there is no significant difference among the variables of region, dwelling, gender, and depth. It has been observed that individuals buried within some dwellings clustered together, and individuals found in some dwellings positioned side by side also formed clusters together. Based on the obtained data, it is believed that the Körtik Tepe settlement, with a broad-scale dietary pattern, did not experience a significant external genetic influx. Instead, the group is thought to have formed and sustained itself through its internal dynamics, continuing their way of life. Keywords Epipaleolithic - Early Neolithic, Hunter-gatherer community, Körtik Tepe, Biological distance, Dental morphometrics