Turkey reveals new Gobeklitepe findings, expanding our understanding of the Neolithic era.

Turkey has revealed a series of remarkable archaeological findings at its prominent Stone Mounds sites, including Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe, which host the oldest known gathering and ritual structures in the world, dating back to 9,500 BCE.

Last week, a major unveiling in southeast Turkey offered new insights into a region considered pivotal in humanity's shift from hunter-gatherer societies to settled communities over 11,000 years ago.

Perched on a plateau overlooking the fertile plains of southeastern Anatolia, the UNESCO-listed Gobeklitepe and nearby Karahantepe are reshaping scholars' understanding of prehistoric culture and social organization. Among the new discoveries in Sanliurfa province is a statue displaying a facial expression that evokes the appearance of a deceased person, highlighting early death rituals and symbolic art in Neolithic societies.

In total, around 30 artifacts were presented, including human and animal figurines, vessels, plates, necklaces, and beads, among them a bead shaped like a human figure.

"These sites are extraordinary because they fundamentally alter our perspective on Neolithic history and the development of settled life," said Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

At Karahantepe, pillars and human statues underscore the role of these sites in understanding the origins of symbolic thought, social structures, and monumental architecture, long before the emergence of cities or states, near Sanliurfa.

Minister Ersoy added that the Stone Mounds Project demonstrates the advanced level of awareness in beliefs, rituals, and social organization among prehistoric communities, far beyond earlier assumptions.

Earliest Ritual Sites Revealed

Gobeklitepe alone is expected to draw around 800,000 visitors this year, reflecting growing recognition of its global significance. The project, led by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, includes 12 Neolithic settlements in Sanliurfa dating back to 9,500 BCE, with Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe featuring the worlds earliest structures designed for communal gatherings and ritual performances.

Key architectural features include oval-shaped monumental enclosures up to 28 meters across, encircled by T-shaped limestone pillars representing humans, with some adorned with animal reliefs.

Recent excavations at Karahantepe uncovered a T-shaped pillar with a human face, marking the first known example of a facial depiction on such a structure. Necmi Karul, head of the excavation, remarked, "From nutrition to architecture, from symbolic expression to rituals, the variety of evidence here brings us remarkably close to understanding prehistoric societies. The builders were highly skilled craftsmen."

Karul emphasized that while previously it was thought that settled life began with agriculture and animal domestication, the findings indicate that these communities were primarily hunter-gatherers who had nonetheless adopted a settled lifestyle.

Author: Sophia Brooks