CATALHUYUK IN TURKEY GETS A ROOF

Çatalhöyük, Turkey's most famous Neolithic site, is one the oldest
known areas of human settlement, animal domestication and wheat
cultivation. The Culture and Tourism Ministry's Cultural Assets and
Museums general manager, Orhan Düzgün, announced that the roof's
construction, which began in June of this year, had been finished. The
roof is made of specially laminated wood and is 40 meters high and 43
by 26 meters in area and will protect the historical site and the
archaeological work going on there from damage resulting from exposure
to the elements, Düzgün stated.

Çatalhöyük is a major tourist attraction as well as an
archaeological site. The design of the new roof and cover allows for educational panels to be posted on its sides, making it easier for visitors to get detailed information as they view the site.

Recent excavation on the Neolithic site, under the expertise and
leadership of Stanford University professor of archaeology Ian Hodder, began in
1993 and has continued intermittently since. Discoveries made so far
at the 9,000-year-old site include wall paintings, seals, and cooking
and eating utensils decorated with various painted and carved figures.
Except for its southern area, the site did not have any protection
against the harsh weather conditions characteristic of the Central
Anatolia region. Professor Hodder will continue to head the excavation
teams at the site until 2017.