Woodland modification in Bronze and Iron Age central Anatolia: an anthracological signature for the Hittite state?

Abstract

The Bronze and Iron Ages of central Anatolia encompass a period of significant social and political change. In contrast to the well-documented changes in the social landscape, the environmental landscape for the region at this time is poorly understood. The limited temporal and spatial coverage from environmental records means it is difficult to understand the finer details of environmental change, especially in relation to the archaeology of specific sites. This paper offers a complete and continuous diachronic wood charcoal assemblage for the Middle Bronze Age to Late Iron Age from Kaman-Kalehöyük in central Anatolia. Results show a significant decline in taxa richness from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age, particularly during the Hittite Empire period. The decline in richness is followed by a dramatic increase in pine use from the beginning of the Iron Age. The timing and exploitation of key taxa in the Kaman-Kalehöyük assemblage do not match that indicated in the regional pollen data but rather show a clear local signature chronologically matched to the Hittite Empire.