2. Çatalhöyük:
An early urbanization model
7400 BCE. Population 8000. No streets.
3. http://www.ritualgoddess.com/aboutcatalhuyuk.htm
Constructed of mud bricks and wooden posts, this
honeycomb patterned city was built without streets or
passageways. Inhabitants moved about along the
rooftops of the city and lived below, accessed by ladder
through holes in the roof.
4. The family unit lived in one main room. Walls were
plastered and often painted with scenes depicting the
local landscape or hunting adventures. There was no
central communal sacred space, so each house had its
own shrine with bull horns and bones from the
deceased.
http://www.ritualgoddess.com/aboutcatalhuyuk.htm
6. To the left, a plan from
the archeaological site
as we can render it to
the best of our
knowledge.
http://www.catalhoyuk.com/history.html
To the right, a plan of the
city of Washington, DC.
This relatively modern
urban plan incorporates
streets and passageways,
but the general geometric
pattern remains. http://www.thenowpass.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LEnfant_plan.jpg
7. Final Thoughts
http://globalheritagefund.org/images/uploads/projects/catal_overview_main.jpg
The patterns of urban development in Çatalhöyük and
those of modern cities like Washington, DC both include
repetitive geometric shapes. Studying these ancient
civilizations can shed light on humanity’s intuitive
urbanization plans.
