Göbeklitepe: The 12,000-Year-Old Secret Carved into Stone
Located in Şanlıurfa and dating back to 9600-8200 BC, Göbeklitepe offers significant data on the transition to sedentary life in human history with its monumental structures and symbolic reliefs built in the pre-agricultural era.
Located near the Örencik neighborhood of Şanlıurfa, Göbeklitepe stands at the center of the archaeological world with its massive T-shaped pillars and circular structures belonging to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period.
Situated approximately 18 kilometers northeast of the city center, Göbeklitepe stands out as a center reflecting the advanced organizational skills of hunter-gatherer communities. On the limestone pillars, some of which reach 5.5 meters in height, there are animal figures such as snakes, foxes, and wild boars, as well as abstract depictions resembling the human body.
Systematic excavations have been ongoing since 1994 at the site, which was discovered through surface surveys in 1963. This 126-hectare archaeological site, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018, is the focus of scientific research due to the fact that it was built at a time when agriculture and sedentary life were not yet widespread.
Sources
- bha.net.tr · Link