Character of the Neolithic ‘Imagery’ in the Upper Euphrates Valley and Konya Plain and Its Role in Discerning Changes in Religiosity

In recent years, the study of rituals and manifestations of religious practices in prehistoric societies has taken on a new, multifaceted dimension. These studies have been inspired by a series of innovative research concepts emerging from the fields of history and sociology of religion, coupled with the application of modern methods from the realm of digital humanities. This article aims to analyze a range of objects, motifs, and decorative remnants, collectively referred to as imagery, which exhibit rich symbolism, facilitating their interpretation within ritual contexts. The main focus of the article involves a comparison of two crucial regions of the Neolithic of the Near East, the Upper Euphrates Valley and the Konya Plain, with an emphasis on the presence and characteristics of imagery. Furthermore, drawing from the same array of sources, the article endeavors to delineate the emergence and subsequent transformations of the Neolithic belief system from the 9th to the end of the 7th millennium BCE. The application of the “divergent modes of religiosity (DMR)” concept developed by Harvey Whitehouse for interpreting the above sources yields interesting observations regarding the trajectory of development of Neolithic lifeways, in particular, transformative forms of religiosity in these communities.