The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Catalhoyuk Antiquities

Home  /  Historic Places & Art Index  /  Prehistoric Photos Index  /  Neolithic Village & Towns Photos

Photos of the Incredible Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Catalhoyuk (Çatalhöyük ) archaeological antiquity finds, Ankara , Turkey. The biggest know Neolithic settlement. Photos by Photographer Paul E Williams. (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

How To Download These Photos ?

Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Catalhoyuk (Çatalhöyük ) Archaeological Antiquity Finds

---

Photos of the Neolithic settlement of Catalhoyuk ( Çatalhöyük ) settled for 2000 years from 7400 BC until 5200 BC.

The settlement of Catalhoyuk consists of 2 tells ( hills formed over the millennium by rebuilding over the refuse and remains of earlier settlements) that overlook the plain of Konya on the southern Anatolian Plateau.

So far excavations at Catalhoyuk have revealed 18 levels of habitation that date back to circa 7400 BC. In the process archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Chalcolithic occupation then deeper Neolithic occupation.

Catalhoyuk ( Çatalhöyük ), over the last few decades has reshaped scholars view of Neolithic settlements in Anatolia. What they have unearthed are two settlements of square houses that were built attached to each other with no streets in between.

Access was mostly through the roof openings down wooden ladders below which were found clay ovens, presumably situated below the roof entrance to let the smoke out.

The square rooms were decorated with frescoes of hunting scenes, vultures and geometric designs. Plastered bulls skulls painted red were used as relief sculptures on the walls.

Shocking finds were of burials below the floors of the houses. All skeletal remains were curled up in a foetal position and some skulls were painted red.

There is evidence that the culture of Catalhoyuk inhabitants may have been to let vultures clean the bodies of the dead, leaving just the skeleton, to be buried.

Using high tech archaeology techniques the secrets of Catalhoyuk are slowly being unravelled by archaeologists and are revealing a much more sophisticated Neolithic culture than would have been expected before the excavation of the site.

All photos can be downloaded as royalty free images.