In a 2021 study of the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in modern-day Turkey, archaeologist Marina Milić and colleagues analyzed obsidian tools recovered from various domestic structures. The team determined that the obsidian was sourced from the Göllü Dağ volcano, located over 150 kilometers away. Surprisingly, Milić's analysis of the knapping debris revealed that the tools were not manufactured at the settlement itself; rather, they were imported as finished blades and flakes. This suggests that the residents of Çatalhöyük relied on established regional exchange networks for pre-formed obsidian items, rather than raw materials for local crafting.
Based on the text, what is true of the obsidian tools found at Çatalhöyük?
- AThey were manufactured at Çatalhöyük using raw materials transported from a nearby volcanic source.
- They were brought to the settlement after already being shaped into blades and flakes.Answer
- CThey were crafted by local artisans who traveled to the Göllü Dağ volcano to gather raw obsidian.
- DThey represent the earliest known evidence of Neolithic trade networks in modern-day Turkey.
Answer
They were brought to the settlement after already being shaped into blades and flakes.
The correct answer is directly supported by the text, which states that the obsidian tools 'were not manufactured at the settlement itself; rather, they were imported as finished blades and flakes.' This matches the assertion that they were brought to the settlement after already being shaped into blades and flakes.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying explicitly stated details in a text without drawing speculative inferences.