Long before cities emerged, 9,750 years ago, a community in Central Anatolia was already experimenting with organizing its living space. During excavations in the Karaman province at the Canhasan-3 site, a team of archaeologists led by Adnan Baysal discovered one of the earliest known streets from the Neolithic era. This street is 750 years older than the world-famous settlement of Çatalhöyük.
What Did the Researchers Find?
uncovered a carefully planned passage between houses. This finding challenges the established notion of Neolithic life as a haphazard cluster of homes, as seen in the aforementioned Çatalhöyük. At Canhasan-3, it is evident that residents intentionally left space between buildings.
“This is a significant surprise. In Çatalhöyük, houses were tightly grouped and had roof access, while Canhasan-3 demonstrated a completely different architectural vision. These gaps between houses could have served as passages, protective corridors for livestock, and even an early form of streets,” said the team leader.
Researchers also noted that the hearths in this area were arranged differently than those in Çatalhöyük. This indicates varying cultural practices among Neolithic communities in Central Anatolia.
From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age: A Resilient Settlement
Canhasan consists of a complex of three mounds (Canhasan 1, 2, and 3), reflecting the continuous presence of people here from the pre-pottery Neolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Over the millennia, this small but fertile region has been home to communities that witnessed the dawn of agriculture, animal domestication, and architectural development.
According to Baysal, the secret to Canhasan’s longevity lies in its abundant water sources and fertile lands. The animal bones found here belong to aurochs, fish, and waterfowl. This suggests that, in those distant times, the local wetlands were rich sources of food resources, as reported by Arkeonews. Archaeologists expect that analyzing plant remains will provide further insights into early agricultural methods in this region.
Why This Discovery Matters
Streets are typically seen as markers of social complexity and planned urbanism. The discovery of a street dating back nearly 10,000 years pushes the timeline of these innovations far back.
Moreover, the contrast with Çatalhöyük, known for its dense construction and lack of streets, shows that Anatolian Neolithic societies were not homogeneous. Different communities experimented with various solutions to everyday issues such as movement, protection, and social interaction.
Excavations conducted by the Turkish Ministry of Culture as part of the “Heritage for the Future” project are ongoing. In the next phases of work, scientists hope to uncover more information about the lives of Neolithic people in Canhasan. Researchers, in particular, aim to understand whether these early streets were functional or held symbolic or other meanings.
“By carefully studying the architecture, , and ecological facts, we will be able to envision how the local inhabitants lived, farmed, and interacted with their environment,” noted Adnan Baysal.
