The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse: Emergence of Pest-Host and Commensal Relationships at Aşıklı Höyük, Turkey

Summary

The objective of this poster is to present an overview of the emergence of pest-host and commensal relationships that emerged between humans and microfaunal species over the course of approximately 1,500 years at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Aşıklı Höyük. My research is focused on the investigation of the frequency and taphonomic contexts of microfaunal remains in a formative village setting. Co-evolution between humans and plants and animals occurred as feedback systems developed because humans altered the environmental structure in which these microvertebrates were living or could easily invade. Sedentism, in particular, led to the development of new habitats for small animals and fast-growing plants within and around village sites, which had a powerful impact on the proximate biotic environment. Modifications to this environment may have contributed to the formation of micro-habitats distinct from the surrounding area. Rodents particularly may have been attracted to the disturbed sediments of human settlements and to concentrations of food and the presence of nesting sites. This presentation will explore the potential factors that may have attracted different microfaunal species to inhabit human-occupied sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage