British Museum expert identifies possible proto-writing at Göbekli Tepe. Irving Finkel (British Museum) argues imagery from Göbekli Tepe shows a symbolic system rather than mere decoration A small rounded green stone artifact similar to later Egyptian and Mesopotamian stamp seals shows hieroglyphic-style signs Finkel dates this seal to approximately 9000 BC
British Museum expert Irving Finkel analyzes a small rounded green stone artifact from Göbekli Tepe, dated to approximately 9000 BC, and sees more than decoration. He argues the signs resemble hieroglyphic-style symbols and may represent a shared system of meaning — possibly even a bureaucratic purpose like marking ownership or formalizing agreements, similar to later Mesopotamian cylinder seals. With only 10% of Göbekli Tepe excavated, what other secrets might this 12,000-year-old site still hold?
Key Facts
- Irving Finkel (British Museum) argues imagery from Göbekli Tepe shows a symbolic system rather than mere decoration
- A small rounded green stone artifact similar to later Egyptian and Mesopotamian stamp seals shows hieroglyphic-style signs
- Finkel dates this seal to approximately 9000 BC
- Finkel argues seals imply a shared system of meaning and a bureaucratic purpose (ratification, marking ownership, formalizing agreements)
- Only 10% of Göbekli Tepe has been excavated
Related site: Göbekli Tepe — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: This Discovery Is a Huge Problem for Historians by Michael Button