Archaeologists excavating the ancient settlement of Çatalhöyük in central Türkiye have uncovered the remains of eight infants beside a structure known as the “House of the Dead”, offering new clues about the final centuries of one of the world’s earliest large settlements.
The infant skeletons were discovered in the Eastern Area of Çatalhöyük’s East Mound, in the Çumra district of Konya. According to the excavation team, the oldest of the infants was approximately six months old.
The remains were found immediately beside an unusual building complex that archaeologists have dubbed the “House of the Dead” after discovering 18 human burials within its cells.
Excavation director Professor Ali Ozan said the complex, first encountered last year, appears not to have been used for ordinary domestic life. Its structures were arranged around a central open courtyard, suggesting the area may instead have served a specialised purpose.
Across the same open space, archaeologists have also identified another unusual structure that may have been used for ritual activities. Features include platforms, decorated walls, horn installations and clay wall reliefs.
The discovery of the eight infants close to these structures has raised further questions about activities taking place in this part of Çatalhöyük towards the end of the East Mound settlement.
Anthropological examinations have confirmed that the remains belong to infants and have provided estimates of their ages. Archaeologists and anthropologists are now studying the burials and their surrounding archaeological context in an effort to understand why the infants were buried there and what the discovery may reveal about the settlement’s final phases.
Investigating Çatalhöyük’s final centuries
The research forms part of a broader investigation into a period spanning several centuries on either side of 6000 BC.
Çatalhöyük’s East Mound was inhabited for more than 1,000 years, but researchers have identified changes in architecture, settlement organisation and cultural practices during its later phases compared with earlier periods.
Archaeological work is also under way at the neighbouring West Mound, which was settled around 6000 BC during the Early Chalcolithic period.
Evidence suggests that occupation of the East and West Mounds briefly overlapped. The area containing the newly investigated remains was settled from around 6250 BC, according to Ozan. Eventually, the East Mound was completely abandoned while occupation continued on the West Mound.
The ongoing research into the structures and burials is being conducted with Professor Arkadiusz Marciniak of Adam Mickiewicz University and a team of anthropologists and archaeologists.
Çatalhöyük, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is regarded as one of the most important prehistoric settlements in the world. Around 8,000 people are believed to have lived there during the Neolithic period. Excavations began in 1961 and have continued to reveal evidence about the architecture, social organisation and practices of its prehistoric inhabitants.
Sources : Karah
