Çatalhöyük Prehistoric Settlement VI.B

Çatalhöyük is a prehistoric site in central Türkiye, dating back to the early 7th millennium BCE. The site consists of two distinct mounds: the Neolithic East Mound, recently dated to approximately 7100 BCE, and the Chalcolithic West Mound, which features settlements from around 5600 BCE. The site was first excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965, attracting worldwide attention for its unique streetless settlement layout, evidence of early pottery production, and numerous symbolic and ritual artifacts. In 1993, Ian Hodder began further excavations of the East Mound, providing new insights into the repetition of architectural features and structures over time. These ongoing excavations have deepened our understanding of the social organization, property, power, and religion in early settled life. In 2012, Çatalhöyük was given designated UNESCO World Heritage site status and recognized for its outstanding universal value and significance. In 2015, a collaboration between UC Merced, Stanford University, and Corinth resulted in the creation of a digital reconstruction of Çatalhöyük. This simulation focuses on the Shrine 10 sequence, visualizing the evolution of three Neolithic houses: Mellaart’s Shrine 10.VII, Shrine 10.VIB, and Shrine 10.VIA, each rebuilt in the same location, known as "history houses." The digital reconstruction represents an innovative approach to digital archaeology, integrating various forms of data into a visual-analytic platform. Advanced interactive techniques are employed to simulate the cosmology, shared spaces, material culture and experiential aspects of the Çatalhöyük cultural landscape.