Crop Domestication and Gender j 6161 61
between her ankles as a plastered skull representing ancestors, similar to those found in
burial contexts.^65 If Hodder’s interpretation is correct, it reinforces the association of the
figurine with birth and lineage. Perhaps the ambiguity is intentional. Newborn, skull, or
both, the overall gestalt of this magnificent figure is one of strength, continuity with the
past, and continuation into the future.
Much has been written about the possible religious significance of the “Grain Bin
Goddess.” Those who side with Mellaart’s interpretation cite the leopard throne itself as
a clear indication that this is no ordinary human, but a supernatural being of some sort,
which would make it a cultic object. Skeptics of Mellaart’s “Goddess” interpretation cite
the lack of any obvious religious context—an altar or dedicated temple, for example—that
would clearly identify the woman as a specific deity. Intriguingly, a figurine thought to rep-
resent the Phrygian Mother Goddess Matar (known by the Greeks as Kybele), dating to the
Iron Age, resembles the “Grain Bin Goddess” in that she is seated on a throne with her arms
supported by two quadrupeds, probably felines (Figure 3.16). Çatalhüyük is situated near
the former southeastern border of Phrygia, suggesting the possibility of a continuous cultic
or artistic tradition in that region of Anatolia.
Recently, Hodder and his team have made the exciting discovery of an intact 8000-year-
old female figurine with a striking resemblance to the Grain Bin Goddess. Rather than
being seated on a leopard throne, the figure, which was carved out of marble with “very fine
craftsmanship,” was depicted lying down with her hands folded under her breasts. The fact
that the figurine had been carefully buried beneath a platform in a house alongside a valu-
able piece of obsidian indicates “some sort of ritual deposition.”^66
For our purposes, the most important aspect of the “Grain Bin Goddess” is not only its
cultic significance, but its physical context—inside a grain bin. The simplest explanation
of her location there is that the figure was placed in the bin as a talisman to protect the
grain stores. Indeed, in the upper levels of both Çatalhüyük and the later Neolithic site of
Hacilar, several of the bins for storing grain and legumes contained clay female figurines.^67
We have also suggested that domesticated or semi- domesticated cats were recruited,
probably by women, to protect the grain in the fields and in the storage bins in the homes
from the ravages of mice and other rodents. As noted earlier, some of the relief sculptures of
leopards found by Mellaart were associated with a deposits of grain together with a female
figurine that was, perhaps, a votive offering.
Another significant discovery made by Hodder’s team was that of a leopard’s claw pen-
dant in the grave of a woman at Çatalhüyük. This unique artifact presumably conferred
high status on the wearer, and the fact that it was in the grave of a woman is consistent with(c)Figure 3.15 Continued