The 'hunter-gatherer' label doesn't fit Göbekli Tepe's builders. They lived in a lush environment with food surplus, allowing specialization. The Tas Tepeler built massive temples and created one of the oldest human depictions—essentially pre-civilization before writing. Agriculture emerged within 1000 years of their temple construction.
Hunter-gatherer label oversimplifies Tas Tepeler sophistication
TürkiyeTheory
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Key facts
- The term 'hunter-gatherer' does not capture the complexity of Göbekli Tepe's builders
- The Tas Tepeler people lived in a lush environment with surplus food, allowing time for specialization
- They are considered 'pre-civilization' - having almost everything but writing
- Within 1000 years of Göbekli Tepe's construction, agriculture began in the region
- The builders likely had language, philosophy, ethics, and complex cultural stories
Sources
Gobekli Tepe's Last Decade as a Pre-Farming Cult Centerbrewminate.com
The spectacular finds at Turkey's Göbekli Tepe have fired the imaginations of archaeologists and the general public alike.
Luke has a problem with the way people view the builders ... - Threadsthreads.com
Luke has a problem with the way people view the builders of Gobekli Tepe. Referring to them as "Simple Hunter-Gatherers" is a disservice ...
Features - Last Stand of the Hunter-Gatherers? - May/June 2021archaeology.org
The 11000-year-old stone circles of Göbekli Tepein modern Turkey may have been monuments to avanishing way of life.
Who built Gobeklitepe? Hidden world of Tas Tepeler's hunter ...turkiyetoday.com
Tas Tepeler shows how early communities in Türkiye built monuments, processed wild grains and moved from foraging toward settled life.
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