Göbekli Tepe is among the world’s oldest monumental complexes, dating to roughly 9,600–8,200 BCE. Limestone T-pillars in its circular enclosures reach about 20 ft (6 m), weigh roughly 10–16 tons, and carry reliefs of foxes, snakes, boars and birds. B. K. Kökten first investigated the site in 1963; Klaus Schmidt of the German Archaeological Institute began excavations in 1995. It was deliberately backfilled around 8,200 BCE. About 10% has been excavated—Schmidt estimated full excavation could take roughly 150 years. The complex was likely built by hunter-gatherers before agriculture. One of archaeology’s greatest puzzles! 🏛️
Göbekli Tepe: 11,000-year-old monumental complex only 10% excavated
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Key facts
- The site was first investigated in 1963 by Turkish archaeologist B. K. Kökten of Istanbul University. German Archaeological Institute archaeologist Klaus Schmidt recognized its importance in 1994 and began excavations in 1995.
- UNESCO dates Göbekli Tepe's occupation to approximately 9600–8200 BCE. Its enclosures are among the world's oldest known monumental structures.
- The limestone T-pillars stand about 5.5–6 m (18–20 ft) high and weigh roughly 10–16 tons.
- Reliefs depict animals including foxes, snakes, boars and birds, alongside abstract symbols.
- The prevailing interpretation is that hunter-gatherers built the complex before agriculture became established.
- The monuments were deliberately backfilled around 8200 BCE, rather than around 7000 BCE.
- About 10% has been excavated; Schmidt's widely cited estimate was that full excavation could take roughly 150 years.
Sources
Göbekli Tepe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Göbekli Tepe is a Neolithic archaeological site in Upper Mesopotamia (al-Jazira) in modern-day Turkey. The settlement was inhabited from around 9500 BCE to ...
Göbekli Tepe: The Mysterious Site Older Than Stonehenge | HISTORYhistory.com
More than 11,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers built a monumental stone complex that is thought to be the world's first temple.
Göbekli Tepe (archaeological site) | Anthropology | Research Startersebsco.com
Göbekli Tepe is an ancient archaeological site located in Southeast Turkey, dating back to the Neolithic Era, around 11,500 to 12,000 years ago.
Gobekli Tepe: The World's First Temple? - Smithsonian Magazinesmithsonianmag.com
Predating Stonehenge by 6000 years, Turkey's stunning Gobekli Tepe upends the conventional view of the rise of civilization.
Göbekli Tepe - UNESCO World Heritage Centrewhc.unesco.org
... T-shaped pillars, some of which are up to 5.50 meters tall. Some of the pillars, which are abstract depictions of the human form, also feature low reliefs ...
Klaus Schmidt - Göbekli Tepeartsandculture.google.com
Klaus Schmidt set about finding all the Neolithic sites that they had discovered and reported. He was able to begin the investigation of Göbekli Tepe in 1994.
(PDF) Göbekli Tepe – the Stone Age Sanctuaries. New ...researchgate.net
The head of the excavation Klaus Schmidt argued that Göbeklitepe predated settlements and could be clearly distinguished from them due to its ...
Göbekli Tepedestinationhistorypod.com
Klaus Schmidt, the one who led the discovery of Göbekli Tepe, has his own thoughts on what Göbekli Tepe meant to the people who built it.
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