PLEASE HELP EARLY CULTURE Catalhoyuk is one of the world’s oldest known permanent settlements. It is also one of the largest and most advanced settlements yet discovered from this time period. Its physical structure covered more than 30 acres (or 27 football fields) and included thousands of permanent mud brick buildings. Houses were packed together so tightly that there were no streets or yards between them. Instead, the flat rooftops served as a public plaza, or an open square, reached by ladders. Because the houses were built so close together, they formed a protective wall that enclosed the settlement. People entered their homes through doors in the roofs. Most homes had a single main room where families cooked, ate, and slept. The main room had built-in benches and a fireplace. Plastered walls were covered with murals showing scenes of hunting, daily life, and important events. At Catalhoyuk, archaeologists found evidence of religious practices and artistic expression. Horned bulls’ heads mounted on walls and symbolic clay figures suggest that the villagers worshipped gods. Villagers also buried their dead, a fact revealed by human remains discovered beneath the floors of homes. The presence of pottery, cloth, cups, and bone utensils as well as tools and jewelry shows artistic expression. Archaeologists even found lead and copper, a sign of very early metallurgy , or metalworking. This was an important technological advance. Discoveries at Catalhoyuk continue even today. Each new find sheds more light on the people who lived in this ancient settlement.

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