Gesualdo Busacca
Università di Catania, Archeologia, Graduate Student
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine 10 in the level VI phase B (earlier phase). The last building in the sequence is Shrine VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine 10 in the level VI phase B (earlier phase). The last building in the sequence is Shrine VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during the later phase VI.A, the floor was elevated by approximately 60 centimeters and an oven was added to the southern wall (Mellaart 1967: 125). Major discontinuities between these two phases are substantiated by a reconfiguration of the access to storage rooms or other buildings through crawl holes located along the south wall in phase VI.B.10 and in the southern part of the east wall in phase VI.A.10 (see Fig. 12 and video 3) and by the reduced size and number of niches in the west wall of VI.A.10 when compared to VI.B.10. The model of this 'shrine' meticulously illustrates the northern platforms characterized by two lips dividing their surface into three parts, as well as by a bull pillar. The decoration of the building was dominated by catt...
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. 2018; D’Errico 2008). In the Levant... more
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. 2018; D’Errico 2008). In the Levant and Anatolia, symbolic practices with pigments became increasingly common in the epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods (e.g., Bocquentin and Garrard 2016; Goring-Morris, Hovers, and Belfer-Cohen 2009; Richter et al. 2019; Baird 2012; Baird et al. 2013)
Research Interests:
The cultural use of pigments in human societies is associated with ritual activities and the creation of social memory. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Turkey, 7100–5950 cal BC) provides a unique case study for the exploration of links between... more
The cultural use of pigments in human societies is associated with ritual activities and the creation of social memory. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (Turkey, 7100–5950 cal BC) provides a unique case study for the exploration of links between pigments in burials, demographic data and colourants in contemporary architectural contexts. This study presents the first combined analysis of funerary and architectural evidence of pigment use in Neolithic Anatolia and discusses the possible social processes underlying the observed statistical patterns. Results reveal that pigments were either applied directly to the deceased or included in the grave as a burial association. The most commonly used pigment was red ochre. Cinnabar was mainly applied to males and blue/green pigment was associated with females. A correlation was found between the number of buried individuals and the number of painted layers in the buildings. Mortuary practices seem to have followed specific selection processes independent...
Research Interests:
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 6 phase 3, which was built directly above the latest phase of Building 17. The building had been already explored by Mellaart as Shrine VIII.10, but only its last occupation horizon... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 6 phase 3, which was built directly above the latest phase of Building 17. The building had been already explored by Mellaart as Shrine VIII.10, but only its last occupation horizon was exposed at that time. Mellaart was dubious regarding the interpretation of this building as a 'shrine', as it seemed to lack the symbolic elaboration shown by its successors. More recent excavations undertaken in the 1990s revealed limited evidence of paintings (only monochromatic red panels in the northwestern corner of the main room) and uncovered ten burials. The model ofBuilding 6.3 features an oven located in the dirty area in the south. To notice the absence of the hearth, which was instead located in the side room, and multiple crawl holes to access the storage room
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase 2.2. This building is the earliest Neolithic house excavated in the 'Shrine' 10 sequence. Building 17 contained as many as twenty-two burials, and its walls,... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase 2.2. This building is the earliest Neolithic house excavated in the 'Shrine' 10 sequence. Building 17 contained as many as twenty-two burials, and its walls, especially the eastern one, were painted multiple times with monochromatic red or black panels as well as with geometric motifs. The arrangement of internal features in the building changed rather frequently across its lifespan, in particular the location of its ovens: the building starts with two ovens located at the opposite southwest and northeast corners of the main room, the latter being rebuilt and slightly relocated multiple times; the middle phases of the building (B17.D) have a single oven in the northeastern corner; during the last phase (B17.B), instead, the only attested oven is located in the southwestern corner. The model of Building 17.2.2. includes two clay ovens in both the north east and south areas of the house (which is a common feature ...
3-D reconstruction of the entire Çatalhöyük Shrine 10 sequence of buildings (Buildings 17-6-24/VII.10-VI.B.10-VI.A.10) in the South Area. This sequence is one of the longest and most repetitiously reconstructed sequence of buildings ever... more
3-D reconstruction of the entire Çatalhöyük Shrine 10 sequence of buildings (Buildings 17-6-24/VII.10-VI.B.10-VI.A.10) in the South Area. This sequence is one of the longest and most repetitiously reconstructed sequence of buildings ever documented at Çatalhöyük, encompassing the early and middle levels of the East mound. This 3-D reconstruction is based on multifaceted archaeological data, encompassing two very different investigation periods and research methodologies: the first being the legacy data from Mellaart's excavations in the 1960s, upon which the reconstruction of Shrines VI.10 and VII.10 are based, comprised mainly of excavation plans, hypothetical reconstructions, textual descriptions and a limited photographic corpus; the other being a larger, more detailed and more diversified dataset produced by the ÇRP between the 1990s and the present—that we used for the reconstruction of Buildings 6 and 17. This second collection of data includes excavator's discussions ...
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' 10 in the level VI phase A (later phase). The last building in the sequence is 'Shrine' VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' 10 in the level VI phase A (later phase). The last building in the sequence is 'Shrine' VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during the later phase VI.A, the floor was elevated by approximately 60 centimeters and an oven was added to the southern wall (Mellaart 1967: 125). Major discontinuities between these two phases are substantiated by a reconfiguration of the access to storage rooms or other buildings through crawl holes located along the south wall in phase VI.B.10 and in the southern part of the east wall in phase VI.A.10 (see Fig. 12 and video 3) and by the reduced size and number of niches in the west wall of VI.A.10 when compared to VI.B.10. The model of this 'shrine' meticulously illustrates the northern platforms characterized by two lips dividing their surface into three parts, as well as by a bull pillar. The decoration of the building was...
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' VII. Lying directly on top of Building 6, 'Shrine' VII.10 was almost completely excavated by Mellaart in the 1960s, with the exception of its walls and parts of two... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' VII. Lying directly on top of Building 6, 'Shrine' VII.10 was almost completely excavated by Mellaart in the 1960s, with the exception of its walls and parts of two small side rooms to the northwest and southwest of the building, all of which were excavated in the 1990s with the name of Building 24. This building was almost entirely excavated by James Mellaart in the 1960s but its side storage room. The number of burials from this building and their details are not reported by Mellaart. This model features a bucranium hanging from the north wall, platforms arranged along the western, northern, and eastern walls and the oven located in the dirty area in the south part of the house
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' 10 in the level VI phase B (earlier phase). The last building in the sequence is 'Shrine' VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation,... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, 'Shrine' 10 in the level VI phase B (earlier phase). The last building in the sequence is 'Shrine' VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during the later phase VI.A, the floor was elevated by approximately 60 centimeters and an oven was added to the southern wall (Mellaart 1967: 125). Major discontinuities between these two phases are substantiated by a reconfiguration of the access to storage rooms or other buildings through crawl holes located along the south wall in phase VI.B.10 and in the southern part of the east wall in phase VI.A.10 (see Fig. 12 and video 3) and by the reduced size and number of niches in the west wall of VI.A.10 when compared to VI.B.10. The model of this 'shrine' meticulously illustrates the northern platforms characterized by two lips dividing their surface into three parts, as well as by a bull pillar. The decoration of the building w...
Collection of items used to decorate the Shrine 10 Sequence buildings included in this collection. Although their shapes and hypothetical location is based on discussion with Çatalhöyük archaeologists, these props are conjectural as no... more
Collection of items used to decorate the Shrine 10 Sequence buildings included in this collection. Although their shapes and hypothetical location is based on discussion with Çatalhöyük archaeologists, these props are conjectural as no evidence on their finding in that location was documented by archaeologists. They are used to make the virtual reconstruction more experiential and realistic
This collection is an updated version of a previous collection made available in 2018 (https://doi.org/10.6075/J0SX6BDP). It is part of the revisions required in the peer-review process of the related journal article. This new... more
This collection is an updated version of a previous collection made available in 2018 (https://doi.org/10.6075/J0SX6BDP). It is part of the revisions required in the peer-review process of the related journal article. This new peer-reviewed collection includes a set of revised 3-D models of the Shrine 10 sequence of building at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, derived 3-D renders, an executable Win64 desktop app that interactively reconstruct the case study, a set of Unity 3D game engine asset packages ready to import in a new project as users see fit, and the Unity 3D game engine project, including the app source code and visual assets, we used to build the app. This new collection also includes sets of metadata that describe building elevations, chronology, and burials and, most importantly, an extensive set of paradata that capture our 3D modeling argumentation process using the ontology CIDOC CRM. The Shrine 10 sequence is made of four superimposed buildings – or five, ...
Collection of items used to decorate the 'Shrine' 10 Sequence buildings included in this collection. These props are speculative as no evidence was documented by archaeologists. They are used to make the virtual reconstruction... more
Collection of items used to decorate the 'Shrine' 10 Sequence buildings included in this collection. These props are speculative as no evidence was documented by archaeologists. They are used to make the virtual reconstruction more experiential and realistic
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine VII. Lying directly on top of Building 6, Shrine VII.10 was almost completely excavated by Mellaart in the 1960s, with the exception of its walls and parts of two small side rooms to... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine VII. Lying directly on top of Building 6, Shrine VII.10 was almost completely excavated by Mellaart in the 1960s, with the exception of its walls and parts of two small side rooms to the northwest and southwest of the building, all of which were excavated in the 1990s with the name of Building 24. This building was almost entirely excavated by James Mellaart in the 1960s but its side storage room. The number of burials from this building and their details are not reported by Mellaart. This model features a bucranium hanging from the north wall, platforms arranged along the western, northern, and eastern walls and the oven located in the dirty area in the south part of the house
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase 2.2. This building is the earliest Neolithic house excavated in the Shrine 10 sequence. Building 17 contained as many as twenty-two burials, and its walls, especially the... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase 2.2. This building is the earliest Neolithic house excavated in the Shrine 10 sequence. Building 17 contained as many as twenty-two burials, and its walls, especially the eastern one, were painted multiple times with monochromatic red or black panels as well as with geometric motifs. The arrangement of internal features in the building changed rather frequently across its lifespan, in particular the location of its ovens: the building starts with two ovens located at the opposite southwest and northeast corners of the main room, the latter being rebuilt and slightly relocated multiple times; the middle phases of the building (B17.D) have a single oven in the northeastern corner; during the last phase (B17.B), instead, the only attested oven is located in the southwestern corner. The model of Building 17.2.2. includes two clay ovens in both the northeast and south areas of the house (which is a common feature in contempo...
3-D reconstruction of the entire Çatalhöyük 'Shrine' 10 sequence of buildings (Buildings 17-6-24/VII.10-VI.B.10-VI.A.10) in the South Area. This sequence is one of the longest and most repetitiously reconstructed sequence of... more
3-D reconstruction of the entire Çatalhöyük 'Shrine' 10 sequence of buildings (Buildings 17-6-24/VII.10-VI.B.10-VI.A.10) in the South Area. This sequence is one of the longest and most repetitiously reconstructed sequence of buildings ever documented at Çatalhöyük, encompassing the early and middle levels of the East mound. This 3-D reconstruction is based on multifaceted archaeological data, encompassing two very different investigation periods and research methodologies: the first being the legacy data from Mellaart's excavations in the 1960s, upon which the reconstruction of 'Shrines' VI.10 and VII.10 are based, comprised mainly of excavation plans, hypothetical reconstructions, textual descriptions and a limited photographic corpus; the other being a larger, more detailed and more diversified dataset produced by the ÇRP between the 1990s and the present—that we used for the reconstruction of Buildings 6 and 17. This second collection of data includes excavato...
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase D, which is later than phase 2.2. The wall paintings found in this building could not be attributed to any particular phase, as most of the wall plaster sequences remain... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase D, which is later than phase 2.2. The wall paintings found in this building could not be attributed to any particular phase, as most of the wall plaster sequences remain unexcavated to the present day. For this reason, a decision was made to show a red-painted panel and a geometric motif on the eastern wall, which was the wall that was most often painted in the building, with no less than eleven painted layers throughout its use life, as showed by a cross-sectional analysis of its painted sequence. The model of Building 17.D features only one oven in the north part of the house and red panel along the east wall. The dirty area in the south only includes the hearth and a basin (south west corner).
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine 10 in the level VI phase A (later phase). The last building in the sequence is Shrine VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Shrine 10 in the level VI phase A (later phase). The last building in the sequence is Shrine VI.10, subdivided by Mellaart in two main phases of continuous occupation, VI.B and VI.A; during the later phase VI.A, the floor was elevated by approximately 60 centimeters and an oven was added to the southern wall (Mellaart 1967: 125). Major discontinuities between these two phases are substantiated by a reconfiguration of the access to storage rooms or other buildings through crawl holes located along the south wall in phase VI.B.10 and in the southern part of the east wall in phase VI.A.10 (see Fig. 12 and video 3) and by the reduced size and number of niches in the west wall of VI.A.10 when compared to VI.B.10. The model of this 'shrine' meticulously illustrates the northern platforms characterized by two lips dividing their surface into three parts, as well as by a bull pillar. The decoration of the building was dominated by cattle...
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 6 phase 3, which was built directly above the latest phase of Building 17. The building had been already explored by Mellaart as 'Shrine' VIII.10, but only its last occupation... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 6 phase 3, which was built directly above the latest phase of Building 17. The building had been already explored by Mellaart as 'Shrine' VIII.10, but only its last occupation horizon was exposed at that time. Mellaart was dubious regarding the interpretation of this building as a 'shrine', as it seemed to lack the symbolic elaboration shown by its successors. More recent excavations undertaken in the 1990s revealed limited evidence of paintings (only monochromatic red panels in the northwestern corner of the main room) and uncovered ten burials. The model ofBuilding 6.3 features an oven located in the dirty area in the south. To notice the absence of the hearth, which was instead located in the side room, and multiple crawl holes to access the storage room
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase D, which is later than phase 2.2. The wall paintings found in this building could not be attributed to any particular phase, as most of the wall plaster sequences remain... more
3-D reconstruction of Çatalhöyük, South Area, Building 17 phase D, which is later than phase 2.2. The wall paintings found in this building could not be attributed to any particular phase, as most of the wall plaster sequences remain unexcavated to the present day. For this reason, a decision was made to show a red-painted panel and a geometric motif on the eastern wall, which was the wall that was most often painted in the building, with no less than eleven painted layers throughout its use life, as showed by a cross-sectional analysis of its painted sequence. The model of Building 17.D features only one oven in the north part of the house and red panel along the east wall. The dirty area in the south only includes the hearth and a basin (south west corner).
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Atti del V Convegno Nazionale dei Giovani Archeologi, Catania (ex Monastero dei Benedettini, sede del Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Universita di Catania), 23-26 maggio 2013. Volume realizzato grazie al contributo della Scuola... more
Atti del V Convegno Nazionale dei Giovani Archeologi, Catania (ex Monastero dei Benedettini, sede del Dipartimento di Scienze Umanistiche dell’Universita di Catania), 23-26 maggio 2013. Volume realizzato grazie al contributo della Scuola di Specializzazione in Beni Archeologici dell'Universita degli Studi di Catania.
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This collection includes a set of 3-D models, derived 3-D renders and archaeological visualizations, and related metadata that reconstruct both spatially and temporally (4-D) the ‘Shrine’ 10 sequence at the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk,... more
This collection includes a set of 3-D models, derived 3-D renders and archaeological visualizations, and related metadata that reconstruct both spatially and temporally (4-D) the ‘Shrine’ 10 sequence at the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk, Turkey. These series of four superimposed buildings – or five, depending on whether ‘Shrines’ VI.A.10 and VI.B.10 are considered two separate buildings or two phases of the same one. It was uncovered at Catalhoyuk between Mellaart’s excavation in the 1960s and more recent archaeological work conducted in the framework of the Catalhoyuk Research Project, under the direction of Ian Hodder. With its multiple rebuilds, the sequence covers a significant part of the entire site’s sequence, spanning from the later part of its early period (c. 7100-6700 BC) to its entire middle period (c. 6700-6500 BC), with an estimated time range of about 300 years. Houses that are rebuilt multiple times also tend to be more elaborated (both architecturally and symbolicall...
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Research Interests:
Archaeologists have long debated the potential role of iconographic repertoires in reconstructing prehistoric ontologies and symbolic systems. The rich and complex imagery unearthed at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey) has... more
Archaeologists have long debated the potential role of iconographic repertoires in reconstructing prehistoric ontologies and symbolic systems. The rich and complex imagery unearthed at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Göbekli Tepe (Turkey) has offered a promising ground to address this issue further. Previous interpretations have focused on the symbolic meaning of the depictions, often highlighting their male-centred and violent connotations, while overlooking the spatial and performative contexts of the depictions. This paper engages with this scholarly work in order to propose a new interpretation based on the anthropological framework of relational ontologies and on the analysis of some stylistic and contextual aspects of the iconography. Based on these premises, the curvilinear enclosures of Göbekli Tepe are interpreted as places of encounter devoted to interpersonal relationships among human and non-human agents, enabled by the intermediary role of images. The use of particular techniques...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. ; D’Errico ). In the Levant and... more
From the Middle Paleolithic onwards, pigments have been used variably in different social and ritual activities as well as in the expression of symbolism through material culture (e.g., Brooks et al. ; D’Errico ). In the Levant and Anatolia, symbolic practices with pigments became increasingly common in the epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods (e.g., Bocquentin and Garrard ; Goring-Morris, Hovers, and Belfer-Cohen ; Richter et al. ; Baird ; Baird et al. ).