When did farming and animal breeding become established in Anatolia?

In Anatolia, the establishment of farming and animal breeding is evidenced by archaeological findings dating back to approximately 8000 BCE. While earlier theories suggested Anatolia remained uninhabited until the Chalcolithic Period, excavations have revealed that the earliest Neolithic settlements were characterized by the cultivation of barley and sometimes wheat, alongside the domestication of the dog.1

By the mid-8th to mid-7th millennium BCE, sites such as Çatalhüyük demonstrated a more sophisticated economy likely based on agriculture and dairy farming. Although these communities practiced early farming, hunting remained a significant activity, as evidenced by the presence of bones from wild animals like deer and boar. These developments highlight the significant role that the peoples of the Anatolian plateau played in the broader spread of early agriculture and Neolithic culture.1