Reconstructing the life-histories of buildings at Çatalhöyük: ritual places

In his idea of village-wide (or town-wide) conformity, Mellaart interpreted some rooms as neighborhood "shrines" which were centers of ritual activity, rather like Pueblo kivas. The "shrines" were identified by the richness of their symbolic elaboration - sculptured reliefs, paintings etc. Mellaart's ideas have been incorporated into the BACH project in several ways, especially since he regards Building 3 as a "shrine (expressed on a visit in 1999) .

How does the BACH team investigate ritual places?

James Mellaart's reconstruction of a "shrine"