Çatalhöyük was a large Neolithic settlement occupied around 7400–6200 BCE. Houses stood shoulder to shoulder, with roof openings, upper floors and burials beneath floors; wall paintings, sculpture and jewelry survive. Movement was largely across rooftops rather than streets. The video argues that its scale challenges popular timelines for cities and civilization. ⛏️ 10:30–13:42
Çatalhöyük: Large Neolithic Settlement, 7400–6200 BCE
TürkiyeGeneral
Site mentioned
Key facts
- UNESCO dates Çatalhöyük's occupied levels to approximately 7400–6200 BCE, making it roughly 9,000 years old.
- The site is in Konya Province, central Türkiye, about 500 km west of Göbekli Tepe in a straight line; it is not immediately nearby.
- UNESCO estimates the settlement's population at 3,000–8,000 across about 34 acres.
- Mud-brick houses were tightly clustered; many had upper floors, and residents entered through roof openings.
- Burials were placed beneath house floors, often with grave goods.
- Wall paintings, sculpture, ornaments and jewelry survive. Movement between clustered houses was largely across rooftops rather than along streets.
- The excavated remains are unusually well preserved.
- The video argues that Çatalhöyük demonstrates complex, densely organized life earlier than popular timelines of civilization suggest.
Sources
Evidence of 9000-Year-Old "House of the Dead" Unearthed at ...thedebrief.org
Archaeologists believe that Çatalhöyük was established roughly 9,000 years ago, as humans first began the transition to permanent farming ...
Çatalhöyük excavations uncover “House of the Dead” with evidence ...archaeologymag.com
Archaeologists uncover ritual buildings and burials at Çatalhöyük, revealing spiritual practices in one of Türkiye's earliest towns.
An Ancient Proto-City Reveals the Origin of Home - Scientific Americanscientificamerican.com
The 9,000-year-old settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey shows how humans began putting down roots. By Annalee Newitz.
Çatalhöyük Archaeological Site | Springer Nature Linklink.springer.com
The history of settlement and social landscapes in the early Holocene in the Çatalhöyük area. In Çatalhöyük perspectives: Themes from the ...
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük - UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
It features a unique streetless settlement of houses clustered back to back with roof access into the buildings. Description is available under license CC-BY-SA ...
The Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyükwhc.unesco.org
The Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük stands out because of its large size (covering 34 acres with a population of 3,000-8,000 people), the length of its occupation ...
Çatalhöyüken.wikipedia.org
The site was discovered by James Mellaart in 1958 during a regional survey of the Konya Plain. He led a team which excavated there for four seasons between 1961 ...
Turkiye – Neolithic Site of Catalhoyukwhc.unesco.org
The taller eastern mound contains eighteen levels of Neolithic occupation between 7400 bc and 6200 bc, including wall paintings, reliefs, ...
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