The first excavations at Çatalhöyük

Record summary

James Mellaart’s excavations at Çatalhöyük from 1961 to 1965 revealed dense Neolithic buildings, wall paintings, figurines, burials and evidence for craft and subsistence activities. The site became central to debates about early sedentism, household ritual, symbolism and the transition toward urban life. Its chronology depends on stratigraphy, pottery and later radiocarbon programs, while interpretation of figurines and mural scenes remains contested. Mellaart’s later controversies over documentation and alleged forgery require researchers to distinguish published excavation evidence from reconstructions that cannot be independently checked.