documentary about Çatalhöyük

Summary

The video explores the ancient settlement of Çatalhöyük, a 9,000-year-old city with no streets, where people lived in tightly packed houses with rooftop access. Archaeologist Amy Beaugard and anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse discuss how the residents worked on rooftops, buried their dead under sleeping areas, and engaged in rituals. The settlement's houses were not just homes, but also sacred spaces where ritual life took place, possibly reflecting early beliefs in gods or spirituality. Artifacts, obsidian, and wall art suggest a complex blend of domestic and ritual activities.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Archaeologist Amy Beaugaard has been working at the ancient site of Çatalhöyük for two decades.
• 🏙️ Çatalhöyük was a settlement that existed around 9,000 years ago, spanning 13 hectares (about 20 football fields).
• 🏠 The settlement had densely packed houses with no doors or windows, with residents entering through the roofs.
• 🛖 The people of Çatalhöyük were among the world's first city dwellers, living without streets and moving across rooftops.
• 🛏️ People lived closely with their ancestors, burying them beneath their homes' sleeping areas in tightly bound, flexed positions.
• 🗿 The discovery of burial pits, obsidian caches, and hidden items suggests significant ritual practices within the community.
• 🕊️ Anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse explores the religious or spiritual beliefs of the residents, raising questions about their views on creation and gods.
• 🧱 Wall art featuring bull heads and other objects indicates ritualistic significance, possibly serving as protective symbols in homes.
• ⛪ Whitehouse refers to the homes as 'living temples,' suggesting that domestic spaces doubled as places for ritualistic activities.
• 🧠 The retrieval and careful reburial of human remains and objects hints at cyclical or continuous rituals central to life in Çatalhöyük.

Q & A

Who is Amy Beaugaard?

Amy Beaugaard is an archaeologist who has been digging with a team at Chattahooya for two decades.

How old is the settlement at Chattahooya?

The settlement at Chattahooya is approximately 9,000 years old.

How large was the Chattahooya settlement at its maximum extent?

At its maximum extent, the Chattahooya settlement covered 13 hectares, which is roughly the size of 20 football pitches.

How did the people of Chattahooya access their homes?

The people of Chattahooya accessed their homes from above, as the houses had no windows or doors on the sides. The city had no streets, and people walked across the rooftops.

What are some features found in Chattahooya homes?

Some features of Chattahooya homes include niches used for hiding valuables like obsidian and burial pits located under the sleeping areas where people buried their ancestors.

How did the people of Chattahooya bury their dead?

The dead were buried in tightly bound flex positions in burial pits under the platforms where people slept. The pits were periodically reopened to add new individuals.

What might the burial practices of Chattahooya indicate about their beliefs?

The burial practices suggest that the people of Chattahooya may have had ritual practices and possibly a belief in a connection with their ancestors, indicating a religious or spiritual aspect to their lives.

What kind of objects have been found in Chattahooya homes?

Objects found in Chattahooya homes include wall art, such as bull heads, which were sometimes inserted into walls or arranged protectively around sleeping spaces. These objects were likely used in rituals.

How did anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse interpret the homes of Chattahooya?

Harvey Whitehouse interpreted the homes of Chattahooya as not just domestic dwellings but also as 'living temples,' where the ritual life of the community was conducted.

Why does Harvey Whitehouse refer to Chattahooya homes as temples?

Harvey Whitehouse refers to the homes as temples because they appear to be environments where rituals, including burials and the use of symbolic objects, took place, similar to how rituals are conducted in temples.