Rethinking the Splendid Isolation of Neolithic Çatalhöyük

This talk explores new ways of understanding the famous Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in southern Türkiye—one of the most intensively studied early farming communities in the world. Drawing on recent research from the Konya Regional Archaeological Survey Project, it uses the conceptual framing of landscape archaeology to look beyond the familiar story of the settlement’s ‘rise and fall’, and instead asks a different set of questions about the pace and scale of change in the Konya region more broadly, and the role of subsistence-based adaptations and choices.

By bringing together fresh data and new perspectives, the project shifts attention away from excavation-based frameworks and narratives to the wider human environment. Rather than focusing on technical detail, the talk also offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the research came together. It highlights the collaboration between two archaeologists with different approaches, showing how their partnership influenced both the project and the story it tells.

The AWRC have reserved a lunch table in hall for Cluster members where you will have a chance to meet with Christoph and Michele over lunch. The talk at 1.15 pm in the Buttery will be catered with coffee/tea and cakes (all welcome).