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Name Date
CHAPTER GEOGRAPHY APPLICATION: PLACE Catal Huyuk
1 Directions: Read the paragraphs below and study the illustration carefully. Then
answer the questions that follow.
Section 2
A mong the many ancient settlements of human
beings in the world was the village of Catal
Huyuk. Founded approximately 8,000 years ago in
one or more sides to the units next to them. Each
family dwelling contained an open hearth, an oven
in the wall, and clearly defined sleeping areas.
the hills of what is now Turkey, Catal Huyuk lasted The residents of Catal Huyuk appeared to be a
for nearly 2,000 years before mysteriously disap- religious people. Elaborate shrines were construct-
pearing. ed in the same fashion as the dwellings, and con-
The settlement was the world’s most advanced tained four or five rooms. Paintings filled the walls
human center of the first agricultural age. of these shrines and often included the chief deity,
However, Catal Huyuk did not develop near a who was believed to be a goddess. This goddess
major river system, as might have been expected of was frequently depicted giving birth, nursing a
a farming village. Instead, it developed near a small child, or living as an old woman accompanied by a
stream in the shadow of three menacing volcanoes. vulture.
The people of Catal Huyuk fortified themselves The economic base of Catal Huyuk was also
against invaders and wild animals by building a vil- highly sophisticated for the time. Like their ances-
lage that contained no doors or streets. Instead, tors, these people still hunted, but they also bred
inhabitants used a hole in the roof to enter and exit goats, sheep, and cattle. In addition, they produced
and people simply moved around on top of each many different types of foods, including peas, sev-
other’s dwellings. Families constructed their houses eral grains, berries, and berry wine. However, like
with strong mud-dried brick. The roofs were made other prehistoric humans, the people of Catal
of woven reeds and mud and were connected on Huyuk did not live much past their twenties.
© McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.
6 Unit 1, Chapter 1
0007-wh10a-IDR-0101 11/25/2003 3:57 PM Page 7
Name Catal Huyuk continued
Interpreting Text and Visuals
1. What does the illustration reveal about the way that the people of Catal Huyuk entered their
dwellings and moved from house to house? ________________________________________
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2. Where was Catal Huyuk located?__________________________________________________
3. Describe the physical surroundings of Catal Huyuk. __________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Explain how the village of Catal Huyuk was constructed. ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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5. What role did religion play in the lives of the people of Catal Huyuk? ____________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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6. If Catal Huyuk had been built near a major river system, how might life have been different?
____________________________________________________________________________
© McDougal Littell Inc. All rights reserved.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
7. Look again at the illustration. Explain what you think the inhabitants of Catal Huyuk gained by
constructing their settlement in this manner. ________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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The Peopling of the World 7
