Çatalhöyük archaeologists discover eight baby skeletons

Archaeologists conducting excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Çatalhöyük in Konya, Turkey, have discovered eight baby skeletons. The remains were found adjacent to a structure identified as the ‘house of the dead,’ which contains 18 human burials.

The largest of the discovered infants was approximately six months old. Researchers, including Çatalhöyük Excavation Director Prof. Dr. Ali Ozan and anthropologists from Adam Mickiewicz University, are studying the remains and the surrounding archaeological context to understand the final stages of the settlement.

The ‘house of the dead’ appears to be a non-residential complex consisting of cells arranged around a courtyard. Nearby, archaeologists have identified another space featuring platforms, wall decorations, horn placements, and clay reliefs, which they believe may have served a ritualistic purpose. Current research is focused on the period surrounding 6000 BCE to identify shifts in architectural and settlement traditions during the site's long history of habitation.