Var det bara handjur som avbildades? : Frånvaron av det kvinnliga könet i Göbekli Tepe

Sammanfattning: The study of gender identification in Neolithic iconography is a relatively unexplored area. This study will apply gender theory on the findings of reliefs in Göbekli Tepe to further the information about this area. Contemporary scientists state that there are no females present in Göbekli Tepes iconography, whether they are human or animal. Earlier research has gone from exploring the idea that a female-dominated cult that focused on a goddess with connections to fertility, originating from the discovery of Çatalhöyük, was prominent in the area to a male-dominated cult which has a focus on dominance, aggressiveness and wildness. The cult of the goddess theory came from a focus on artefacts and reliefs that showed the female sex, while ignoring all male findings. The male-centered theory comes not only from the artefacts and reliefs that have been found but also as a response to the female-dominant cults exaggeration of findings of female iconography. In this study there will be a limited analysis of previous research within these two different camps of research, as well as an analysis of six reliefs from Göbekli Tepe. This analysis will be based on gender theory mainly as it has a prominent relevance in the studies of hunter-gatherer societies. Its importance comes as a response to the heteronormative lenses that this time has been viewed through. Because the people that lived in this time period (about 10000 BCE) had an intimate relationship with both the flora and fauna that made up their world. This led to an extensive symbolic relationship between animals and humans which led to the lines between them started to blur, one representing the other symbolically. The research analysis will be limited to cultic and iconographic interpretations that have a connection to Göbekli Tepe. The choice of motifs for further analysis have also been limited because of the small number of published pictures of the T-pillars, those that have been chosen are by what species that they are (foxes and boars, two of each) and if renderings have visible genitalia or not. The other two reliefs have been chosen as a further exploration of the gender-question as it is presented in Göbekli Tepes iconography. The main results of this study are that there is no scientific basis to say that there are no females depicted at Göbekli Tepe. This conclusion is primarily based on evidence that clearly indicates that the artists of the reliefs had such a high ability and knowledge about both the animals and artistic techniques that they fully had the abilities to depict what they wanted. Neither can we be sure that the reliefs that are without male genitalia are male from their depicted biological traits. This leaves a big group of genderless individuals in Göbekli Tepe and the question if gender is at all relevant or if the depicted animals relate more of a spiritual relationship between animals and humans.