Comparisons of genetic material showed that maternal lineages played a more significant role than paternal ones in linking members of Çatalhöyük households. Women were the “anchors” of each household.
A recent genomic discovery in the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük, in central Turkey, revealed that society was organized around female genealogical lines an impressive finding that highlights the central role of women in early agricultural communities. The scientific research also identified changing kinship structures over time and shed light on how social norms evolved through the centuries.
Today, Çatalhöyük is recognized as the world’s first known city, as it was the earliest site where surrounding villages merged to form a central hub marking the beginning of urban civilization that shapes the modern world.
Çatalhöyük is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located in the present-day province of Konya. It is also known for its distinctive burials beneath building floors—a tradition in which individuals were interred beneath their own homes.
A study recently published in Science—completed after 12 years of collaboration among 47 geneticists, archaeologists, and biological anthropology specialists from Turkey and ten other countries revealed striking findings regarding kinship and gender dynamics in the area through the analysis of these burials. The researchers examined skeletal remains from 395 individuals who lived between 8000 and 5800 BCE and successfully sequenced DNA from 131 people buried in 35 houses.
Genetic comparisons showed that maternal lineages played a more important role than paternal ones in connecting members within Çatalhöyük households. Women acted as the “anchors” of each family unit. The graves of girls who died before reaching adulthood also contained more grave goods than those of boys. This demonstrated that the male-dominated systems familiar from Neolithic sites in Europe—whose populations partly originated in Anatolia were not inherent characteristics of early farming societies.
The same study found that kinship patterns in Çatalhöyük changed over time. In earlier periods, people buried in the same building often shared similar genetic profiles, suggesting that the house was used by biological family members. However, this genetic relatedness became rare in later periods, indicating that blood ties gradually lost their central role in social organization. Researchers suggest that this transformation may be attributed to cultural factors such as widespread fostering and adoption-like social mechanisms.
Çatalhöyük: The Neolithic Ancestor of Urban Settlements
Çatalhöyük reveals a society that flourished 9,000 years ago. Visitors can journey back in time to the dawn of human history through various remains that clearly illustrate the complexity of this ancient community. The site is remarkable for its significant size, the long duration of its occupation, its clusters of tightly packed houses accessed through their roofs, as well as its murals and reliefs. Together, these discoveries point to an early form of urban planning, sustainable living, social organization, and cultural practice.
Among the most iconic finds are numerous female figurines, widely interpreted as possible representations of a “Mother Goddess” cult and as indications of a matrifocal society. Although a rich collection of artifacts from Çatalhöyük including female figurines is housed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, the excavation site itself is captivating, allowing visitors to wander through spaces that once held some of the earliest signs of organized human life.
Visitors can also learn about Çatalhöyük’s society at the state-of-the-art information center located within the archaeological site, featuring interactive screens and multimedia exhibits.
As part of the “Heritage for the Future” program, Turkey supports excavations and restoration work at many ancient sites. The country designated 2024 as the “Golden Age of Archaeology,” increasing the number of archaeological projects to 765. This number is expected to rise, reaching 800 by 2026.
