Luxury and prestige are characteristics found across all human societies. The same held true for the Neolithic communities. Among the most fascinating discoveries from this period are obsidian mirrors—delicately crafted, yet with a mysterious and debated purpose.
Recent archaeological studies have allowed researchers to reconstruct the manufacturing and distribution processes in Southeast Asia, particularly in Central Asia. Findings at Tepecik Çiftlik suggest that this location may have been crucial in the production of these unique objects.
The mirrors, circular and highly polished, were not utilitarian items but held strong symbolic meaning. Their rarity is notable: only 56 examples have been found across the entire Near East, spread across six archaeological sites in Anatolia and one in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Their presence in burial and ritual contexts suggests that these artifacts were not just mirrors in the conventional sense. They may have served as objects of prestige, ritual tools, or even had spiritual significance.
Completed and incomplete mirrors discovered at Tepecik Çiftlik (Photo: Alice Vinet).
The Mirror Production Factory
Among the sites where these mirrors have been found, the Tepecik Çiftlik archaeological site stands out as a pivotal location for understanding their production. Situated in the Melendiz Valley in Cappadocia, the settlement was inhabited from the Neolithic to the Early Chalcolithic period, between 7000 and 6000 BCE.
Its proximity to natural obsidian sources, such as those found at Nenezidağ and Göllüdağ, provided the inhabitants with the opportunity to develop a specialized industry in cutting and polishing the volcanic material.
Excavations at Tepecik Çiftlik have uncovered not only completed mirrors but also sketches in various stages of production, allowing researchers to reconstruct every step of the manufacturing process.
These findings make this site unique in that it undeniably documents obsidian production. At other locations, only completed artifacts have been discovered, suggesting that these items were imported.
The Process of Mirror Making
The mirror-making process was complex. Based on the analysis of discovered fragments, archaeologists have identified at least eight stages in the production process.
Craftsmen would select a piece of obsidian with a relatively flat surface and semicircular shape, remove sharp edges, and polish the outline. They used a rough, gritty stone for the initial polishing of the surface. Then, finer abrasives like sand or a mixture of ash and water, fat, and leather were applied to smooth the texture. It is also believed that some mirrors were polished with fat and soft fabrics.
The result was a portable object with a reflective surface that mirrored the image of whoever gazed into it. However, it seems that these mirrors were not only used for this purpose, or at least not exclusively. The exact use of these mirrors remains a mystery.
The Mystery of Their Use
The discovery of mirrors in different contexts suggests that their use extended beyond mere reflection. At Çatalhöyük, one of the most significant Neolithic sites in Anatolia, mirrors found in tombs, alongside pigments such as red, yellow, blue, and green, lead researchers to hypothesize that people may have painted themselves during rituals related to the beautification of the dead.
Complete and Incomplete Mirrors Found at Tepecik Çiftlik
Other studies suggest that the mirrors may have been used as signaling devices or even as tools for directing light. However, the prevailing theory suggests that these objects conferred prestige and were used by individuals of high status within their communities. The complexity of their production and limited distribution further supports the idea that they were not everyday items but were kept for special occasions.
The distribution of obsidian mirrors during the Neolithic period raises another question: How did these objects travel between different regions? Analysis of the findings suggests that most mirrors were made at Tepecik Çiftlik and then exported to other settlements, such as Çatalhöyük and Akarçay Tepe. The absence of sketches at the site indicates that the mirrors were not made there but arrived as completed products, likely through exchange networks.
In the case of mirrors found in Domuztepe and Tel Kabri—far from the obsidian sources—the situation is even more enigmatic. At Domuztepe, researchers discovered other obsidian objects, such as beads and vessels, indicating that the residents had access to exotic materials and had mastered polishing techniques. However, the exact origin of the mirrors remains unconfirmed.
On the other hand, Tel Kabri, located in the Eastern Mediterranean region, is far from the obsidian sources. The only mirror found there had been imported from Anatolia, indicating that these prestige items traveled from distant locations.
These seemingly simple objects carry a complex history of production and distribution, revealing the Neolithic people’s skill in material craftsmanship, their commercial ties, and the symbolic meaning they infused into everyday items.
