Aşıklı Höyük is a Neolithic mound located near the district of Gülağaç in present-day Aksaray Province, along the banks of the Melendiz River. With a history dating back approximately 10,400 years, it represents one of the earliest known village settlements in the region and in Southwest Asia. The first permanent habitation at Aşıklı began in the mid-9th millennium BCE, and the site remained continuously occupied for about a thousand years, eventually forming a multi-layered settlement rising to a height of sixteen meters.
Aşıklı Höyük is a site of major archaeological significance, not only for documenting the transition to a sedentary lifestyle but also for its early evidence of agriculture, animal domestication, mining practices, and the use of mudbrick architecture. The discoveries at Aşıklı illustrate the transformation from hunter-gatherer societies to food-producing communities during the Neolithic period, making it a unique case study not only for Anatolia but for the archaeology of the entire Near East.
Aşıklı Höyük (Photo: Kültür Portalı)
Historical Background
Aşıklı Höyük is situated in a fertile valley formed by the Melendiz River, offering water sources and rich flora and fauna—favorable conditions for early settlement. These features attracted mobile communities who had previously established temporary camps in the region. Over time, these groups transitioned to permanent settlement, as evidenced by early habitation layers at the mound, which contain the remains of simple shelters.
Permanent settlement began around 8350 BCE and continued uninterrupted for nearly a millennium. During this time, both the architectural structure and the social organization of the settlement developed gradually. In the earliest layers, small pit dwellings are observed, while later phases feature buildings with defined plans constructed using mudbrick blocks. This transformation reflects the architectural traditions and social organization that evolved alongside a settled way of life. The period also marks the beginnings of cereal and legume cultivation, the domestication of small livestock, and a production-based lifestyle.
Findings indicate that the Aşıklı community had advanced skills in obsidian toolmaking, basketry, and mudbrick construction. These innovations reveal a society capable of organized labor and technological adaptation. By the end of the 8th millennium BCE, life at Aşıklı Höyük came to an end for reasons that remain unknown. After its abandonment, the site remained undisturbed for a long period, which allowed its archaeological layers to be preserved in remarkable condition.
8th Century BCE Residential Settlement Layout Plan (Photo: Türk Dil Kurumu, Höyük)
Excavations at Aşıklı have revealed that the site played a pioneering role not only in the Neolithic period but also in the development of architectural and social history in Anatolia. With its uninterrupted vertical stratigraphy and broad horizontal excavation areas, Aşıklı Höyük provides valuable insights into the region’s early settlement history. It also serves as the first known example of the unique settlement pattern referred to as the “Central Anatolian Settlement Model.”
Excavation Studies
Archaeological excavations at Aşıklı Höyük were initiated in 1989 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Ufuk Esin from the Department of Prehistory at İstanbul University. These initial excavations, conducted as a rescue operation due to the threat posed by an adjacent reservoir, focused on two main areas—one in the north and another in the northwest—along with several 10 x 20 meter open areas on the surface aimed at understanding the settlement layout. By the end of this phase, approximately 6,000 m² had been excavated, making Aşıklı Höyük one of the largest excavation areas among Neolithic settlements in Southwest Asia.
In 2000, the excavation leadership was handed over to Prof. Dr. Nur Balkan Atlı, during which the focus was on investigating the site’s earliest layers. In 2006, a second phase of excavations began under the direction of Prof. Dr. Mihriban Özbaşaran. This phase not only emphasized scientific research but also incorporated projects on conservation, exhibition, and community engagement within a comprehensive field development plan. In this context, experimental archaeology methods were employed to recreate a "Prehistoric Aşıklı Village," complete with mudbrick structures built to the exact dimensions of the original findings, and the southern section of the mound—containing structures associated with the community’s belief systems—was preserved with a roof system.
Excavation Works (flickr.com, Aşıklı Höyük)
A conservation-focused approach was adopted during the Aşıklı Höyük excavations, with various methods implemented to protect the mudbrick architecture from external damage. As part of a new conservation and exhibition project initiated in 2020 with financial support from the Turkish Historical Society, the area containing the earliest examples of the settlement fabric has been both preserved and made accessible to visitors. Thus, Aşıklı Höyük has evolved into not only a site for ongoing archaeological research but also a public, educational, and conservation-oriented cultural heritage area.
Architectural Structure and Settlement Fabric
Aşıklı Höyük is one of the earliest and best-documented examples of Neolithic settlements in Central Anatolia, exhibiting an advanced architectural approach and a unique settlement plan. The settlement began around 8350 BCE with pit dwellings—simple circular depressions open to the ground, whose perimeters were coated with mudbrick plaster and covered with organic materials. Over time, these shelters were replaced by structures built from mold-formed mudbrick blocks, featuring rectangular plans and constructed partially below ground level. The plans and construction techniques of these buildings evolved throughout the occupation process, with the standardized use of mold-formed mudbrick evident by the 8th millennium BCE.
The settlement layout reflects a model in which the buildings are clustered closely together. Very narrow passageways exist between the structures, functioning as streets or alleys. To the north of the residential areas, several buildings with red-plastered walls and distinctive base structures—varying in plan and size—are interpreted as communal structures with special functions related to the community’s religious practices. These structures include internal arrangements featuring steps, channels, and stone-paved courtyards. Additionally, underground burial pits within the settlement area are noteworthy; the deceased were typically interred in a supine position in pits that opened directly into the floor of the residential structures.
The horizontally and vertically excavated areas of Aşıklı Höyük are of great importance for tracking the development and evolution of the architectural fabric known as the “Central Anatolian Settlement Model.” The key features of this model include an adjacent, orderly settlement, narrow streets, common use areas, and the prominence of mudbrick architecture. This architectural approach observed at Aşıklı is also evident in later Neolithic settlements such as Can Hasan III and Çatalhöyük. Thus, Aşıklı Höyük not only exhibits its own unique settlement fabric but also serves as a defining example in the spatial organization of Neolithic Central Anatolia.
Turkish Museums YouTube
Findings
The artifacts uncovered during the excavations at Aşıklı Höyük provide valuable insights into daily life, production activities, technology, and belief systems during the Neolithic period. Notably, tools made of obsidian—used for cutting and piercing—stand out among the finds, indicating that the natural obsidian sources of the Melendiz Mountains were exploited. These tools, which served functions such as cutting, scraping, and drilling, were utilized in hunting, butchering, plant processing, and craft activities. In addition to obsidian, grinding stones made from volcanic rocks like basalt and andesite, as well as heavy tools such as axes, have also been recovered.
Plant remains and charred cereal samples are among the significant discoveries documenting the agricultural activities of the Aşıklı community. Both wild and cultivated examples of barley, wheat, and lentils have been found. Animal bones, which indicate intensive hunting activities, are also common among the faunal remains, with sheep, goat, wild cattle, pig, and deer being the most frequently encountered species. These findings suggest that the community embraced a mixed economy based on both agriculture and animal husbandry.
One of the most remarkable discoveries at Aşıklı Höyük is a mat woven using traditional techniques, dated to approximately 10,100 years ago. This mat was used in the burial context of a four-year-old child and has survived due to the protective conditions provided by its porous construction. Woven from reeds, this mat is an early example of the traditional weaving techniques in the region.
10,000-Year-Old Woven Mat (Photo: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı)
In addition, examinations of a young woman’s skull have revealed traces of a surgical intervention that is considered to be the earliest known example of brain surgery in world history. This finding is of great significance as it provides evidence of medical knowledge and practices in the early period.
Furthermore, anthropological analyses of skeletal remains have shown signs of pathological conditions such as porotic hyperostosis and cribra orbitalia, associated with iron deficiency, among community members. These health issues have been linked to nutritional habits and environmental conditions.
