Menu vs. Myth: Quantifying the Symbolic Discrepancy at Taş Tepeler Sites

The monumental enclosures of the Taş Tepeler region (notably Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe) feature elaborate T-pillar iconography dominated by predators and scavengers, such as snakes, foxes, and boars. This paper quantitatively compares these motif frequencies—derived from comprehensive inventories—with zooarchaeological faunal remains (NISP) from published excavations. Chi-square analysis reveals a statistically significant dissociation: dietary staples (gazelle, aurochs) are marginalized in the iconographic record, while symbolically charged species (foxes, snakes) dominate despite minimal contribution to the subsistence economy (with preservation bias likely under-representing snakes/birds in bone assemblages). These mismatches support the hypothesis that the enclosures served to “seal” specific totemic or apotropaic knowledge rather than reflecting daily subsistence or sympathetic hunting magic. The findings reinforce the theory of intentional enclosure as a mechanism for ideological control during the Neolithic transition.