Ancient Carved Faces in Turkey Illuminate Neolithic Society

On the windswept ridges overlooking Turkey's expansive southeastern plains, recent archaeological work is uncovering glimpses of life from around 11,000 years ago, when the first permanent communities began to form. Newly uncovered artifactsincluding a stone figurine with stitched lips, carved stone faces, and a black serpentinite bead featuring faces on both sidesprovide rare insight into the spiritual and ritual practices of early Neolithic societies.

"The increasing number of human representations reflects the impact of settled life," said Necmi Karul, lead archaeologist at Karahan Tepe. "As communities settled, humans gradually turned their focus inward, elevating the human experience and figure to the center of their worldview," he explained, pointing to a carved human face on a T-shaped pillar.

This excavation is part of the Turkish government's "Stone Hills" initiative, launched in 2020, covering 12 sites across Sanliurfa province. The program includes the UNESCO World Heritage site Gbekli Tepe, also known as "Potbelly Hill," which features the oldest known megalithic structures in Upper Mesopotamia, first excavated by Klaus Schmidt in 1995.

Lee Clare from the German Archaeology Institute, discussing some of the discoveries at Karahan Tepe's visitor center, highlighted how the findings challenge long-held assumptions about the transition from nomadic hunting to early settled life. "Every structure we study offers a small window into individual lives. Each layer we excavate brings us closer to understanding the people who lived here, almost allowing us to connect with them through their remains. Their beliefs are gradually coming into focus," Clare said.

Over the past five years, the research has produced an extensive body of new data. However, without written records from this prehistorical period, Clare acknowledged that many details remain elusive. "Determining the exact identity of the statues or figurines is extremely difficult since these artifacts date back roughly 10,000 years, long before the advent of writing," added Karul, who also oversees excavations at Gbekli Tepe and coordinates the Stone Hills project.

He noted, "As discoveries multiply and we understand the contexts in which they appear, statistical analysis allows us to draw meaningful comparisons and interpretations."

The emergence of settlements followed the last Ice Age, when environmental changes created fertile land that supported farming and population growth. This enabled communities to settle permanently and form more complex social structures. "Once people began producing surplus food, disparities emerged between wealthier and poorer individuals," Clare explained. "These sites provide evidence of the earliest forms of social hierarchy, marking the beginning of a process that eventually shaped the modern world."

Emre Guldogan of Istanbul University, lead archaeologist at nearby Sefer Tepe, emphasized that ongoing excavations are reshaping our understanding of the Neolithic period. "Karahan Tepe and the broader Stone Hills project reveal highly organized societies with their own symbolic and spiritual systems," he said, challenging earlier notions of a 'primitive' Neolithic era. While human imagery dominates Karahan Tepe, animal motifs are more prevalent at Gbekli Tepe, illustrating how each community expressed their environment differently.

"Every new discovery poses new questions and deepens our understanding of the people behind these creations," Guldogan added.

These findings are also transforming tourism in the region. Previously known primarily as the area where Abraham is said to have settled, the region now attracts a broader range of visitors. "Before these excavations, most tourists came for religious reasons linked to Abraham," said local guide Yakup Bedlek. "Now, archaeological interest is drawing a more diverse group of visitors to Sanliurfa."

Author: Ethan Caldwell