Olive trees now grow atop unexcavated areas at Göbekli Tepe. Aerial photos from 2004 show no trees; recent photos show orchards present. The trees—planted by previous private landowners before the government took control of the land over a decade ago to increase its value—are now being relocated by Turkish authorities to safeguard ancient artifacts, with the head of excavation refuting reports of suspended excavation. 🌳
Hundreds of olive trees planted on buried ruins preventing excavation
TürkiyeHeritage
Site mentioned
Key facts
- Four orchards of olive trees planted on top of buried ruins at Göbekli Tepe
- Trees planted more than a decade after excavations first began
- Aerial photographs from 2004 show no trees; recent photos show orchards present
- Archaeologist confirmed trees were planted on buried ancient ruins
- Tree roots could potentially damage ancient ruins
- Trees prevent full excavation of the site
Sources
Olive trees relocated at Göbeklitepe to protect ancient ...dailysabah.com
"A much larger area than the excavated site at Göbeklitepe is covered with olive trees, which poses a significant obstacle to expanding the ...
Getting to the Bottom of Jimmy Corsetti's Göbekli Tepe ...jasoncolavito.com
The owners planted hundreds of olive trees before the government took control of the land more than a decade ago in order to increase its value ...
Archeologist refutes claims of suspended excavation in ...hurriyetdailynews.com
The excavation team confirmed the presence of olive trees, stating they were there from the outset, and stressed they are working with the ...
Gobeklitepe controversy leads to removal of trees—here is ...turkiyetoday.com
Workers relocate olive trees at Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sanliurfa, Türkiye, to protect ancient artifacts from potential ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.