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Çatalhöyük Archaeological Site

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Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology
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Introduction

The 9,000-year-old archaeological site of Çatalhöyük (pronunciation cha-tal-hoo-yuk) is located in central Anatolia, Turkey, 40 km from the modern regional capital of Konya. The site represents two mounds divided by dried-up river channels that today sit in a flat agricultural landscape. The name of Çatalhöyük means “fork mound” which probably refers to the fact that the road from the nearby town of Çumra divides here in multiple directions.

The East Neolithic mound of Çatalhöyük was a settlement inhabited for over 1,400 years between 7,400 and 6,000 BCE cal. Up to 18 stratifications of occupation have been identified as people abandoned old houses, filled them in, and built new ones on top as well as extending outward. Through centuries of this repeated practice, an artificial mound of about 21 m at its highest point was produced from virgin soil, which by the end of the period extended over 13.5 ha (33.5 acres). An estimated population of between 3,000 and 8,000 people...

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References

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Further Reading

  • Catalhoyuk Research Project. n.d. Available at: http://www.catalhoyuk.com/bibliography.html (Full Çatalhöyük bibliography) and http://www.catalhoyuk.com/archive_reports/ (Annual reports).

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Farid, S. (2020). Çatalhöyük Archaeological Site. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30018-0_978

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