742 skeletons found in Turkey reveal that ancient humans also faced the pressures of crowded urban life and disease.
The 9,000-year-old skeletons excavated in Turkey. (Photo: Live Science).
Archaeologists have recently uncovered that the transition from foraging to a communal agricultural lifestyle posed numerous challenges for the inhabitants of Çatalhöyük 9,000 years ago.
Çatalhöyük is located in central Turkey and is considered one of the oldest urban settlements ever discovered. It is estimated that between 9,500 and 6,200 BC, this urban center housed over 8,000 people within an area of just 32 acres. According to National Geographic, Çatalhöyük was built on the banks of a now-dry river. Researchers believe this site laid the foundation for an egalitarian society during the Stone Age, where people relied on one another. The name Çatalhöyük is derived from the Turkish words çatal (fork) and höyük (mound).
The dense population and other factors made the living environment harsh, leading to stress, tension, and violence among the residents. People had to enter their homes using ladders. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Archaeologists also discovered that 25% of the 95 skeletons examined had fractures in their skulls, suggesting they may have been killed by a strong blow from large clay objects. Among the 742 skeletons, 33% showed signs of bacterial infection. Additionally, 13% of women’s teeth and 10% of men’s teeth were damaged, indicating a diet overly reliant on grains compared to other food groups. The sanitary conditions were extremely poor, with walls and floors containing residues of human and animal waste.
Researcher Nada Elias excavating an adult skeleton at Çatalhöyük. (Photo: Scott Haddow).
“Crowded living conditions, with houses too close together, facilitated the spread of disease. This was a significant factor in Çatalhöyük gradually becoming a dead city,” said anthropology professor Clark Spencer Larsen from Ohio State University, adding that “Çatalhöyük is one of the first urban communities in the world, and the residents experienced what happens when many people are concentrated in a small area for an extended period. This sets the stage for the challenges we face today and the issues humanity has always encountered in urban living.”
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