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The History of Physical Anthropology in Turkey

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Archaeological Human Remains

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Archaeology ((BRIEFSARCHAE))

Abstract

The establishment of physical anthropology as a scientific discipline in Turkey was a direct outcome of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey as a modern, secular nation-state in 1923. Until the 1940s, anthropological research was generously funded by the state, since the discipline provided “scientific evidence” for establishing the biological/racial identity of the Turkish nation and supported the nationalistic agendas of the state. Following the Second World War, the notion of “racial identity” lost validity and state support from physical anthropology was withdrawn. Until the 1990s, Turkish physical anthropology became marginalized and remained isolated from the international arena. With the foundation of new universities in the 1990s, a revival began in anthropological research and question-oriented research agendas with modern standards gradually replaced the earlier deterministic research paradigms. In the last decade, Turkish anthropologists have been increasingly joining international associations and publishing in international journals with scientific standards. In this article, we focus on the impact of the political history of Turkey and the ideological agendas of the ruling elite on physical anthropological research in the country. In the conclusions, we point to promising directions for future research.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Anatolia is the peninsular land mass surrounded by the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and Black Sea and comprises the bulk of the national territory of the Republic of Turkey, besides eastern Thrace. In archaeological literature, Anatolia and Turkey are used interchangeably to refer to the same geographical area.

  2. 2.

    This chapter mainly focuses on the ideological background of physical anthropology in Turkish academia and only briefly mentions the research of foreign scholars. Further details on current research in Turkey can be seen in Üstündağ (2011).

  3. 3.

    Vyslozil et al. (1996) also mention limited studies on Turkish skull types by Blumenbach, Carus, and Retzius predating Weisbach’s work.

  4. 4.

    For other critical overviews of the development of anthropology, physical anthropology, and archaeology in Turkey and their use in the formation of national identity see Atakuman (2008), Aydın (1996, 2000, 2005), Özbudun Demirer (2010), Özdemir (2003), Pulhan (2003), Tanyeri-Erdemir (2006), and Yazıcıoğlu (2007).

  5. 5.

    This journal continued to be published until 1939. After a long break, in 1964, the Anthropology Department of the Ankara University began to publish the journal again with its new format and new name, Antropoloji Dergisi. Except for a four-year break (1998–2001), the journal has continued uninterruptedly until present day. The journal includes physical anthropology, palaeoanthropology, bioarchaeology, and social anthropology articles, which are mainly in Turkish.

  6. 6.

    For details see Üstündağ (2011).

  7. 7.

    Excavations at Saraçhane in Istanbul, conducted in 1960s by Dumbarton Oaks and the Istanbul Archaeological Museum can be cited as the first notable excavation of a Byzantine site. Human skeletal remains from this excavation have been studied by Brothwell (1986).

  8. 8.

    For Upper Palaeolithic human remains at Üçağızlı Cave at Hatay, Turkey see http://web.arizona.edu/~hatayup.

  9. 9.

    http://www.catalhoyuk.com.

  10. 10.

    Strontium and Oxygen isotope analyses around the world has contributed immensely to our understanding of human mobility over great distances, as well as immigration of small human communities and the integration of culturally distinct groups, all of which are pertinent to creating a more realistic understanding of cultural and ethnic identity in Turkey. Sr and O isotope research is at a pioneering stage in Turkey. Welton’s (2010, in press) dissertation on Ikiztepe cemetery and Yazıcıoğlu’s ongoing dissertation research on Kültepe (Kaneš) can be cited as examples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Handan Üstündağ

  2. Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu

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  1. Handan Üstündağ
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  2. Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu
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Correspondence to Handan Üstündağ .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Barra O’Donnabhain

  2. Department of Anthropology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    María Cecilia Lozada

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Üstündağ, H., Yazıcıoğlu, G.B. (2014). The History of Physical Anthropology in Turkey. In: O’Donnabhain, B., Lozada, M. (eds) Archaeological Human Remains. SpringerBriefs in Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06370-6_15

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