Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Sarah Grant at the Sar?kam?? obsidian source (Turkey).

Uncovering One Of The World’s Earliest Cities.

Nestled in the Konya Plain of central Anatolia, Çatalhöyük is one of the most remarkable Neolithic sites ever discovered. Comprised of two artificial mounds (tells), its occupation spans from the Aceramic Neolithic to the Early Chalcolithic (c. 7400–5500 cal BC).

At its peak (c. 6500 cal BC), this densely packed mud-brick settlement reached an extraordinary scale, with an estimated population of 3,000–8,500 – unprecedented for a Neolithic community.

Beyond its size, Çatalhöyük is renowned for its rich symbolic culture, reflected in wall paintings, figurines, and benches containing plastered skulls of wild bulls.

First excavated in the 1960s, modern research resumed in the 1990s under the Çatalhöyük Research Project, led by Prof. Ian Hodder of Stanford University.

Trade And Obsidian Exchange

Lacking local sources of stone and wood, trade and exchange played a crucial role in sustaining Çatalhöyük.

Excavations have revealed vast quantities of worked obsidian, despite the closest natural sources being located 200 km northeast in southern Cappadocia. This demonstrates the community’s extensive trade networks, connecting it to distant regions across Anatolia.

The presence of imported materials suggests long-standing relationships with neighboring settlements, facilitating the movement of valuable resources. These exchanges not only supported daily life but also played a role in shaping Çatalhöyük’s economic and social structures.

MAX Lab’s Role In Çatalhöyük Research

At MAX Lab, our work builds on a long tradition of obsidian sourcing studies at Çatalhöyük. Our current research explores:

Aceramic Neolithic Assemblages – Analyzing obsidian artefacts in relation to material from Boncuklu, a precursor settlement, to understand Neolithization processes in the Konya Plain.

Consumption Patterns of the Later Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic – Characterizing obsidian material from the uppermost strata of the East Mound to gain insight into trade and usage patterns during the transition to the Chalcolithic, as represented by assemblages from the neighboring West Mound.

McMaster Archaeological XRF Lab (MAX Lab)