Oldest city in the world

Çatalhöyük - the oldest city in the world 

Artist rendition of Çatalhöyük near Konya, Turkey

Çatalhöyük (near modern-day Konya, Turkey) is considered one of the oldest and most significant archaeological finds, with houses that date back 9000 years ... that's no typo, you read that right, this advanced Neolithic (New Stone Age) city culture existed between 7400 BC and 6200 BC which predates more widely known ancient civilizations like Ancient Chinese Yangshao (c. 5000–3000 BC) Sumeria/Mesopotamia (c. 4000-3100 BC), Indus Valley (c. 3300–1300 BC) or Egypt (c. 3100 BC) by thousands of years.

What's fascinating is this settlement of 8000 people, built largely with perishable mud, clay, straw and wood -  survived in relatively pristine condition for 9000 years, giving archaeologists a chance to decode details of their day-to-day life.

We still don't know for certain why this location was chosen (or why it was eventually abandoned), but Çarşamba River which once flowed between the two hills that make up Çatalhöyük (Turkish for "forked hill"), with the settlement itself built on rich alluvial clay, making it particularly amenable to agriculture.

During this period, the site was a fertile wetland where a wide range of resources were available, including abundant fresh water, fish, water birds and their eggs. On the drier ground, there were plenty of edible wild fruit like almonds and pistachios, and herds of wild animals to supplement their diet.

Archaeologists have analysed the pollen and seeds found in the dwellings and discovered that they were growing, storing and consuming the following:

• Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum): One of the earliest domesticated types of wheat that was hardy and suited to the climate.
• Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum): Another early domesticated variety, used for bread and other foodstuffs.
• Domesticated barley was a staple, likely used in a variety of ways, including porridge and possibly fermented beverages
• Lentils: High in protein and easy to cultivate.
• Peas: Provided a valuable source of nutrition and complemented cereal crops.
• Flax: Likely grown for seeds (for oil) and fibres (for weaving).

So we know for certain that they ate a varied diet containing both animal products such as fish and beef and plants such as barley and wheat. 

This gives us ample evidence of the early adaptation of humans from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more sedentary life based on agriculture and animal husbandry. 

The site is exceptional for its substantial size (5000 to 7000 people lived, worked and died together) and great longevity of the settlement, its distinctive layout of back-to-back houses forming a honeycomb-like maze with roof access using ladders, the presence of a large assemblage of features including wall paintings and reliefs representing the symbolic world of the inhabitants. One could walk along the rooftops between houses, meaning that they functioned as practical streets 

One of Ҫatalhöyük’s most defining attributes was its inhabitants’ gradual, continuous building and rebuilding of their houses. However, mud houses were prone to collapsing but instead of relocating the inhabitants simply leveled the old house and used the rubble as a foundation for the new structure. 

Archaeologists discovered a stratigraphy of up to 18 settlement layers that provide an exceptional testimony to the gradual development, re-shaping and expansion of the settlement.

These houses were the epicentre of all aspects of their lives: material, social and ritual. Houses were roughly rectangular semi-permanent mud houses built closely together without streets and for safety reasons to keep wild animals out, people entered their homes through a hole in the roof, which was supported by trees hewn down using obsidian tools - a stone found nearby. In addition, they had tools made from bone and ceramics.

Artist rendition of egalitarian life in Çatalhöyük where men and women were equal

Çatalhöyük provides a unique testimony to a moment of the Neolithic, in which the first agrarian settlements were established in central Anatolia and developed over centuries from villages to urban centres, largely based on egalitarian principles - as all houses were equal it is fair to assume that everyone seemed to be equal with no single person maintaining a dominant social status.

During daylight hours the inhabitants stayed on the rooftop to complete their household chores like cooking and weaving. Men and women appear to have been largely equal, and both appear to have shared the tasks of ritual, artwork, farming, hunting and cooking. 

Each central room had an oven below the stairs where people carried out domestic tasks such as cooking. Raised platforms within the rooms were used for sleeping and other domestic activities. Beneath these platforms, inhabitants buried their dead. Side rooms were accessed off the central room providing essential storage areas. Thick wooden posts were erected in the central room and may have been used to strengthen the structure, as well as create internal divisions of space.

It's clear that as the town developed, so too did its skill in agriculture, undoubtedly with new technology and efficiency discovered over time and ingenious techniques for harvesting and storing developed.

More efficient cooking pots were being developed, which in turn made time for other activities. Domestic cattle and milk were introduced and there was an increase in housing and population density. 

Burials and ritual behaviour also became more elaborate. Remarkably, upon their death, the deceased were buried under the floors of houses, indicating a close connection between the living and the deceased. The bodies were often tightly bound in a flexed position and placed in a simple grave with few or no artefacts.

During this period, we begin to see the emergence of many of the decorative features that Çatalhöyük is famous for, such as figurative art.

Archaeologists have found that the walls were often plastered and painted with intricate murals of animals, birds, fish and other symbolic motifs. These murals depicted hunting scenes or simply geometric patterns. 

There's a painting of the village itself, which makes it essentially the world's oldest known map. Ritual activities at Çatalhöyük revolved around hunting, death and animals. Wild bulls were needed for feasts, and there were probably taboos or special meanings for leopards and bears. 

Today, an all-weather shelter constructed above the two main excavation areas protects the archaeological structures from the direct effects of the climate and thereby reduces the immediate dangers of rainfall and erosion.

References

1. Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük. (2012). UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1405/
2. Çatalhöyük: the world’s first city. (n.d.). GoTürkiye. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://goturkiye.com/blog/catalhoyuk-the-worlds-first-city
3. Çatalhöyük - The Rise and Fall of a Neolithic Town. (n.d.). catalhoyuk.com. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.catalhoyuk.com/book/export/html/54