Life through the 4.2k abrupt climate change event at ancient Kanesh: Seeds, isotopes and wood charcoals from Early Bronze Age Kültepe (Türkiye)

Abstract

The ancient city of Kanesh – modern Kültepe near Kayseri in central Türkiye – is known globally for its remarkable archive of >24,000 cuneiform tablets that document the life and actions of Assyrian traders living there in the 19th century BC establishing the world’s earliest known inter-state trade network – in fact it is the biggest trade archive in the world before the Medieval Period. While much is known about Kanesh’s second millennium occupation, the preceding Early Bronze Age is less well understood. A palace culture, similar to that in Mesopotamia, is evidenced, ending in a large conflagration and redesign of the settlement by c. 2,000 BC, following the 4.2k abrupt climate change event that is thought to have cities across the region. Archaeobotanical research discussed here is shining new light on this period. In today’s seminar we will explore the seed, charcoal and isotope evidence for crop management, farming practices, wood fuel supply, plant trade and climate change during Kültepe’s third millennium occupation.

About the Presenters

Prof Andy Fairbairn

Andy Fairbairn is an archaeobotanist and archaeologist interested in ancient agriculture, foraging practice and past anthropogenic landscape change. Studying at UCL Institute of Archaeology in London he has worked The Museum of London, Cambridge University, The Australian National University and, since 2006, at UQ, where he is Professor of Archaeology. He has worked extensively in Türkiye, including at Neolithic Çatalhöyük East, Pınarbaşı, Canhasan III and Boncuklu (where he was co-director), as well as later occupation at Kaman Kalehöyük, Büklükale, Yassihöyük, Kültepe and Kinet Höyük. Andy has published research on ancient plant use in the UK, Italy, central Europe, Jordan, China, Papua New Guinea and Australia on sites spanning the last 65,000 years. He is an Associate Editor for the journal Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, lead editor for the Routledge Handbook of Global Archaeobotany and is Fellow of both the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Linnean Society.

Nolan Pitler 

Nolan Pitler is an honours student in archaeology at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, specialising in archaeobotany, supervised by Andy Fairbairn. Nolan is interested in anthracology, specifically how wood fuel choices and woodland management shaped past anthropogenic landscapes. He has undertaken fieldwork in Türkiye since 2023, with Kultepe being the focus of his current research project. In addition, he has worked in Mithaka Country with the Mithaka Aboriginal Corporation, Nathan Wright and Andy. Nolan completed a summer research project in 2024 for the diagnostic phytolith morphologies of Canarium indicum on phytoliths with Alison Crowther.