Çatalhöyük, Neolithic and Chalcolithic tell in Konya Province, Turkey

Çatalhöyük is a prehistoric Neolithic settlement in Konya Province, consisting of densely packed mud-brick houses built directly adjacent to each other. The buildings were accessed through openings in their roofs rather than street-level doors, creating a honeycomb-like layout without streets.

Occupation began around 7500 BC and ended around 5600 BC, when the East Mound was abandoned; the West Mound was then settled from about 5600 BC in the Early Chalcolithic. James Mellaart excavated 18 successive building layers between 1961 and 1965, and Ian Hodder directed renewed work from 1993 to 2018. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

The name comes from Turkish çatal ("fork") and höyük ("tumulus"), after the forked mound formed by the two tells. Excavations recovered over 2,500 casually baked clay figurines, mostly animals but including 187 human ones, and rare Neolithic textile fragments, mostly burnt and found in burials.

Visitors can access the excavated areas and observe the reconstructed dwellings through elevated walkways that protect the archaeological remains. The site is partially covered, providing shade in hot weather, and the paths are generally suitable for most visitors to navigate.

Each house contained designated areas for specific activities, with inhabitants burying their dead beneath the floors of their living spaces. This practice shows a close connection between the living and their ancestors in the daily life of the community.