Abstract
Çatalhöyük is one of the most widely recognized and extensively researched Neolithic settlements. The site has been used to discuss a wide range of aspects associated with the spread of the Neolithic lifestyle and the social organization of Neolithic societies. Here, we address both topics using newly generated mitochondrial genomes, obtained by direct sequencing and capture-based enrichment of genomic libraries, for a group of individuals buried under a cluster of neighboring houses from the classical layer of the site’s occupation. Our data suggests a lack of maternal kinship between individuals interred under the floors of Çatalhöyük buildings. The findings could potentially be explained either by a high variability of maternal lineages within a larger kin group, or alternatively, an intentional selection of individuals for burial based on factors other than biological kinship. Our population analyses shows that Neolithic Central Anatolian groups, including Çatalhöyük, share the closest affinity with the population from the Marmara Region and are, in contrast, set further apart from the Levantine populations. Our findings support the hypothesis about the emergence and the direction of spread of the Neolithic within Anatolian Peninsula and beyond, emphasizing a significant role of Central Anatolia in this process.
Highlights
Neolithic Çatalhöyük (7100–5950 BC) is a world-renowned Neolithic settlement
Our results show that the Central Anatolian Neolithic, while falling within the genomic diversity of Near and Middle Eastern
Our data suggests a lack of maternal kinship among ten analyzed individuals buried under the floors of selected adjacent Çatalhöyük buildings
Summary
Neolithic Çatalhöyük (7100–5950 BC) is a world-renowned Neolithic settlement. Its size, remarkable preservation, presence of numerous works of Neolithic art, and large amounts of archeological data obtained through meticulous excavation have consolidated its unquestioned importance in the identification of a wide range of constituent elements of the Neolithic [1].The settlement was composed of a conglomeration of clustered neighborhoods with clearly defined modular house units [2]. Neolithic Çatalhöyük (7100–5950 BC) is a world-renowned Neolithic settlement. Remarkable preservation, presence of numerous works of Neolithic art, and large amounts of archeological data obtained through meticulous excavation have consolidated its unquestioned importance in the identification of a wide range of constituent elements of the Neolithic [1]. The settlement was composed of a conglomeration of clustered neighborhoods with clearly defined modular house units [2]. Burials were located under the floors of most buildings, especially under elevated platforms in northern and eastern parts of the living rooms. Some of the buildings, notably the ones with more elaborate art installations, contained more burials (up to almost 70 individuals, more than one would expect from the estimated number of their inhabitants), implying their special status [4]
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