1 The town of «atal Hˆy¸k is situated on a terraced slope on the Konya plain of central Anatolia. The plain was covered in forest, which provided excellent hunting opportunities. To the east the volcanic mountains, Hasan Dag and Kara Dag can be seen.
2 The town flourished between 6500 and 5700 B.C. Houses were one storey high and made of mud-brick covered with plaster. There were no doors, but instead access was provided by openings in the roofs, covered by lean-to shelters. Moveable ladders connected the different levels.
3 Many of the houses were elaborately decorated with plaster figures and wall-paintings. Especially popular were male and female fertility symbols. On this wall we can see some examples: a bull's head, three rams' heads and six breasts.
4 Two vultures are seen attacking a headless human body. The image of the vulture has been interpreted as a representation of the Goddess of fertility, who kills in order to create new life. Significantly, the colours used on this wall are red and black, those of life and death.
5 The human corpse lies stretched out on its back with the legs spread. This scene might represent part of the burial rites, in which the body was first left to wild animals to remove the soft tissue. Later corpses were wrapped in textiles and buried beneath platforms in the houses.
6 This pattern represents a "kilim", a thin woven rug. They were used as wall decorations and are made up to today. Weaving was introduced in Anatolia by 6000 BC and soon complex patterns were being formed, using colours such as yellow, green, blue and red.
7 Four human skulls were found in this house. It remains unclear what their precise meaning was although it seems significant that two were found under a vulture scene, a symbol of human mortality. It is possible that more bodies were buried underneath the platforms.
8 In this corner three vaulted bread ovens, a hearth and animal bones were found. This was the place where meat and bread offerings to the gods were prepared. Carbonised remains found in some houses indicate that pulses, vegetables and berries were part of the regular diet.
9 This enormous bull head was moulded in clay. The horns, however, were original and were no less than 3ft (1m) long. Underneath this image a basket containing a skull was placed and this part of the shrine probably provided a focal point for the worshippers.
10 An extraordinary image was that of a breast from which the lower jaw of a boar protrudes. Other sculptured breasts were found to contain the skulls of weasels and vultures. These could be symbols of the mother goddess as the mistress of life and death and ruler of wild animals.
11 A person climbing down the ladder would find him or herself in the kitchen area. It contained a hearth with raised edges. Fumes would disappear through the opening in the roof. Carbonised remains indicate that the staple crops were wheat, barley and pulses. Apples, berries, almonds and acorns further enriched this diet.
12 People slept on the platforms in the south-west corner. These were made of earth and covered with plaster. On top of this base, mats and woollen covers would be laid out. Many natural dyes were known and these were decorated with many bright colours, such as yellow, green, blue and red.
13 The uprights of the platforms and timber posts, covered with plaster, were decorated with red paint. It has been suggested that red paint was thought to have protective properties, guarding people when sleeping and preventing the house from falling down.
14 2ft (60 cm) beneath the platform the dead were buried. This was probably done once a year when the plaster was renewed. Bodies were probably first exposed to remove soft tissue and were then deposited. They were wrapped in cloths and skins and placed on their left side, head facing inwards.
15 Natural light was restricted in the houses of «atal Hˆy¸k. It came from the opening in the roof and small windows underneath the roof. Extra light was provided by the fire place and sometimes small oil lamps.
16 Houses were made of mud brick covered with plaster.
100 The town of «atal Hˆy¸k is situated on a terraced slope on the Konya plain of central Anatolia. The plain was covered in forest, which provided excellent hunting opportunities. To the east the volcanic mountains, Hasan Dag and Kara Dag can be seen.
