Çatalhöyük, Turkey
A 9,000-year-old Anatolian Town
A view of the newest protective structure at Çatalhöyük. Pathways lead visitors through the excavations.
Members of the local community have gained training in the conservation and treatment of wall paintings, and Turkish students from Istanbul University, Middle East Technical University (METU) and London University have participated in a series of conservation and site preservation tasks including cutting and lifting walls with plaster reliefs and paintings for display in Konya Museum.
Consultations and interviews with the whole village of Küçükköy at the site have enabled the development of plans for an integrated heritage park around the site, funded Turkish and local training and capacity building for complex house and mural conservation, community engagement that included guide training, site employment, school visitation and education and a view from the Village display in Visitor Center. Moreover, seeking to enhance the women’s own participation in the economy of the exhibition, their scarves have been integrated into the presentation.
One of the critical components of the community based research at Çatalhöyük is developing ways for the local communities around the site to take part in the research itself. The aim is to eventually move beyond education about the site to a point where local residents feel confident and interested in developing joint research projects collaboratively with archaeologists. There is increased income from tourism that has had an impact on the café by the site and in the local town of Çumra and in the village of Küçükköy. Members of the community sell craft products at the site.
