Höyük

Höyük is the Turkish term for a tell, a type of archaeological mound formed by the accumulation of successive layers of human occupation. In archaeological practice, höyüks are raised mounds created as people built, rebuilt, and discarded structures on the same site over long periods. They preserve stratified remains that document changes in settlement patterns, subsistence, and social organization, and are common in the Near East and parts of Anatolia.

Formation and characteristics

A höyük typically begins as a modest settlement near resources such as water or fertile land. Over time, abandoned buildings, floors, dumps of debris, and repeated rebuilding contribute to a layered profile. The mound can vary in shape and height, but its core is a record of occupation layers, each representing a distinct phase. Excavated evidence may include mud-brick houses, streets, storage pits, ovens, kilns, tombs, and domestic or ritual artifacts. The preservation of organic materials and architectural features depends on local conditions.

Methods and interpretation

Excavation of höyüks relies on stratigraphic methods to separate layers by age and context. Dating is achieved through radiocarbon analysis, ceramic typology, and, when possible, dendrochronology. The resulting sequences illuminate long-term processes such as early urbanization, trade networks, craft production, and everyday life in past communities.

Examples and significance

Çatalhöyük is among the most famous neolithic höyüks, offering extensive insights into early village life in central Anatolia. Numerous other höyüks—often bearing Turkish place names that end with -höyük—document regional history from the Neolithic to later periods. The study of höyüks is central to understanding the development of settled life in the broader Anatolian and Near Eastern context.