Four weeks of excavation took place on the West Mound of Çatalhöyük during June and July 2001. The short season was primarily intended as a preliminary investigation before more extensive work in 2002.

In the north-western part of the trench we encountered an undisturbed Byzantine grave sealed by two large unworked limestone capstones. These were sitting on walls of decorated ceramic tiles, which lined the grave cut and were faced with plaster retaining traces of red-painted decoration (Figure 14, Figure 15). The skeleton of an adult male, probably in his mid-forties, was encountered within the remains of a wooden coffin, above a tile-lined base.

In the south-west of the trench, a stone and mudbrick wall ran east-west on the same alignment as Chalcolithic walls in the 2000 trench. However, the stone construction is likely to be Byzantine, since all the Chalcolithic walls encountered are entirely of mudbrick. Running northwards from the wall, and perhaps also part of the Byzantine activity, was an uneven beaten earth surface. Cleaning to the south of the wall, however, revealed in situ Chalcolithic material, including large potsherds, grinders and animal bones, which may be related to the spreads found at a similar horizon in 1998 and 2000.

To the east of the grave and wall a large rectangular pit, was identified. Finds from this feature included large pieces of mortar, Byzantine plaster (some painted), broken tiles and fish bones. At its base, truncated remains of a well-built grave, large enough for two or more interments, were encountered. The grave was not fully excavated in 2001 but cleaning showed a stone wall to the east and a mortar with tile rubble construction on the other three sides; all were decorated with red and green painted motifs, including floral designs, on hard white plaster. A later rubble wall, running east-west, divided the grave fill and suggests the insertion of additional burial(s) within the burial complex.

To the north and east of the graves cleaning revealed up to six more Byzantine graves or pits to be excavated next season. Between these, and in the sections of the excavated features, Chalcolithic walls and other deposits emerged. By the northern edge of the 2000 trench, a white plaster surface was revealed, continuing the latest of a sequence previously revealed in this area. Although no northern wall was identified, this surface ran out with a straight edge in direct alignment with a plaster-faced corner of two walls further west. These serve to delimit the space partially revealed in this area last season. The east-west wall may well mark the northern edge of the building as a whole, since it is separated by a narrow gap (perhaps a lane or midden area) from a parallel wall about 1 m further north. The latter has a plaster face on its northern side, suggesting it relates to an internal space at the northern end of the trench, presumably a separate building. Further east an indistinct double wall-line was revealed, which may connect with the plastered wall. The double wall corresponds to that interpreted as the eastern limit of B25 in 2000. At the eastern end of the trench the depth of disturbed material seems greater and Chalcolithic deposits have not yet been clearly defined.