Boncuklu Höyük, Archaeological site in Karatay, Turkey.
Boncuklu Höyük is a settlement with oval buildings made of mudbrick and distinct burial areas beneath living spaces. The excavations reveal how structures were arranged organically across the early inhabited area.
The settlement began around 8300 BCE and ranks among the earliest agricultural communities in Central Anatolia. It emerged roughly 1000 years before the better-known neighboring site.
The early residents produced some of the oldest ceramics found on the Anatolian plateau, showing their skill in working with materials. This craft tradition points to a growing knowledge of techniques that shaped their way of life.
The site is actively accessible and shaped by ongoing research from the University of Liverpool. Visitors should be prepared for dusty conditions and uneven ground, as the area is in different stages of excavation.
Genetic analysis shows that residents of this early settlement were direct ancestors of people who later lived at a neighboring well-known site. This discovery links two important periods of human habitation in the region.
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