Recent studies combining archaeology and genetics have uncovered evidence suggesting that the ancient proto-city of Çatalhöyük in Turkey was potentially ruled by women in a matriarchal society more than 9,000 years ago. Findings from DNA analysis indicate a strong maternal lineage and highlight the central role women played in early Anatolian farming. The research sheds light on how ideas and social structures may have developed and spread in the region during the Neolithic period, indicating that ancient societies were more complex and diverse than previously thought.