Discover Neolithic Turkey

The Boncuklu project is investigating the appearance of the first villages and farmers in central Turkey. At Boncuklu we are also exploring the origins of the remarkable symbolism seen in paintings and reliefs at the nearby famous Neolithic town of Çatalhöyük. The course will take place at the Neolithic site of Boncuklu, dating to c. 8500 B.C.E., the earliest village in central Anatolia and the predecessor of the famous Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük. The site is located in the Konya Plain in central Turkey, 40 km east of the major city of Konya, a famous Medieval center where the “whirling dervish” sect was founded by the Medieval philosopher Celaleddin Rumi. There are many medieval buildings of the Seljuk period to visit in Konya, a booming city.

The field school also includes visits to other sites and museums in central Turkey, including Çatalhöyük, the Hittite capital Hatussas, the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara and the dramatic Neolithic site of Asikli, with evidence of repeated rebuilding of houses and an experimental village. Asikli is located about 3 hours east of Konya in Cappadocia, also famous for its underground cities and painted medieval churches which there will thus be an opportunity to visit.


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Geographic Location

Hayiroglu, Turkey

Periods of Occupation

Neolithic Prehistory


Miriam Bar-Zemer
2999 Overland Ave #103
Los Angeles, CA 90064
United States
Phone: 877-839-4374
Email: [email protected]