Crop Domestication and Gender j 5151 51
painting on level V, the single figure of a woman stands apart from the group to the right
of the painting (Figure 3.9).^46 Her broad hips and heavy legs are emphasized, in contrast to
the wiry, supple forms of the men, which twist and flex with double- jointed agility. Her
arms seem to be resting on her belly, which could be a reference to an impending feast. If
she is pregnant, the hands- on- belly gesture could symbolize ideas of transformation and
regeneration. In outline, she resembles the figurines of obese women so ubiquitous at other
Neolithic sites—solid, immobile, and iconic. She is defined by her symbolic significance
rather than by her actions. A similar figure of a lone woman with her hands on her belly
is found below a bull in another hunting scene on level V. ^47 In reality, large wild animals
comprised a relatively minor part of the diet at Çatalhüyük, which relied mainly on plant
foods and meat from domesticated sheep and goats. The bones of aurochs, however, are
associated with feasting deposits, thus, the social significance of the animal- baiting scenes
may be ceremonial, commemorating special events.
The static, composed, self- referential pose of the woman is reminiscent of the many
female figurines found at Neolithic sites throughout Eurasia. We have interpreted this par-
ticular tableau as a metaphor for transformation and regeneration, which culminates in the
figure of the woman, but this is only one of many possible explanations. It fails to address,
for example, the issue of women’s work and role in society. The evidence thus far seems to
suggest that whereas hunting and otherwise engaging with large wild animals was largely a
male activity, the sowing, harvesting, and processing of crops was primarily the responsibil-
ity of women. Accordingly, we might expect to find some clue in the rich artistic legacy of
Çatalhüyük that connects women to agriculture.
Hodder has observed that “the few paintings that unmistakably depict women appear
to show them gathering plants.”^48 A possible depiction of a female plant gatherer isFigure 3.9 Transcription of a stag- baiting scene involving slim, bearded men. The more rounded,
obese figure on the right (arrow) appears to be a female.
From Mellaart, J. (1966), Excavations at Catal Hüyük, 1965: Fourth Preliminary Report Anatolian Studies
16:165– 191, plate LII, redrawn from original by Raymonde Enderlé Ludovici.