Where things really start to get ugly and confusing is when we try to give sense to what evidence we have so far.

There's been a lot of discussion around the figure of the Mother Goddess. The "classic" explanation was that the cult at that time revolved around the Mother Goddess, which was represented as a woman young, old, or even in labor. There was another figure, that of a male, less important, that again could be young or old. Some even theorized that maybe the young man was the son of the old one: in which case, this cult was probably the origin of the "Trinity", very present at much later stages of Anatolian History.

reconstruction of a shrine

But in reality, we're sure of nothing. There hasn't been that many statuettes recovered, and some start to question the fact that many "Goddess" statuettes are actually womanly figures, or if it was actually a Goddess or rather a representation of everyday women. Moreover, they have been found in many different types of locations. Did each of them serve a precise purpose? Was the statuette recovered in a grain bin the proof of a fertility cult?

The most intriguing interpretation regards the place of animal in the cult. Leopards and bulls are very often represented, especially the latest, with human figures. As it is a difficult one to explain, I suggest you go read it here, under "Catal Huyuk".

Finally, there have been some remarkable wall-paintings found, most notably one where vulturs would attack the dead, headless, bodies, a rare representation of death before the beginning of writing.