Ece EREN

Hatice TOSYAGÜLÜ ÇELİK

Anatolia is a geography with extensive variety. It is the natural habitat of the wild ancestors of "Basic Plants" such as emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, barley, lentils, peas, chickpeas, barley, and flax species. Humankind has been farming in these lands aproximately 10 thousand years. During this period, relationship of humans and plants goes through changes extending over this time. Archaeobotany ,one of sub-disciplines of enviromental archeology, enables us to understand culturel uses of plants , humans impact on the enviroment and how enviroment effects humans' life practice  in consideration of plant findings from archeological settlements. In this study, archaeobotanical excavation results reports and published publications of 22 archeobotanical studies from approximately 90 neolithic excavations carried out in Anatolia were discussed. It was observed that a comprehensive study was carried outonly 8 of these 22 settlements. It has been determined that the archaeobotanical studies carried out in the Neolithic Period settlements, which are generally settlement-based, are quite inadequate and the publications of some of them are insufficient or not accessible. It has also been determined that the most intense archaeobotanical studies were carried out in the Southeastern Anatolian Region, which is considered as the core region of the Anatolian Neolithic. Briefly, in this study, It is aimed to contribute to prehistoric literature and carry out a general evaluation compiling current archeobotanic data obtained from Neolithic Period settlements in the Anatolian geography.

Key Words: Anatolia, Neolithic, Archeobotany, Paleoethnobotany, Flora.