Crop Domestication and Gender j 6363 63
In the female statuette in Figure 3.17B, a woman sits directly on a large feline while hold-
ing in her arms what appears to be a cat or kitten, whose spread- eagled embrace implies
domestication. As in the case of the “Grain Bin Goddess,” the tail of the supporting feline
is pressed against the woman’s back. Indeed, the pose resembles similar statuettes from
Hacilar VI, which show mothers cradling and embracing their infants. Thus, the woman
is clearly exhibiting maternal behavior toward the cat, as if it has become a member of the
human household.(a)(b)Figure 3.17 A. Female with two leopard cubs, from Çatalhüyük. B. Female seated on a feline,
holding a kitten, from Hacilar. Discovered by Mellaart in a house in level III.
From Mellaart, J. (1970), Excavations at Hacilar. Edinburgh University Press; Mellaart, J. (1975), The
Neolithic of the Near East. Charles Scribner’s Sons.