The mural paintings at Çatalhöyük are the oldest in the
world on human built structures. The most spectacular murals found so
far at Çatalhöyük are those from building F.V.1, which
portray a variety of animals and human figures. These murals are on all
four inside walls of the building but probably represent more than one
composition or scene. What do these murals mean? Notice how the people
seem to be interacting with the animals, pulling tongues, pulling tails,
jumping on their backs. The animals shown have been identified as bulls,
horses, stag deer, bear and wild boar, all of which are large and
powerful and potentially dangerous to humans. Some of the acts shown
appear to be things a person could never actually do with these animals.
What is going on here?
Mystery -what do they mean? Are they decorative, representational or