Karahan Tepe is vast—only about 5% of its estimated 120,000 square meters has been excavated so far. Multiple occupation layers show long-term continuous use at this Pre-Pottery Neolithic site, which sits at the end of the last ice age. Part of a broader cultural system extending across southeastern Turkey into Syria and the Levant, excavations continue in 2026.
Karahan Tepe: Only 6,000 of 120,000 sq m Excavated
TürkiyeExcavation
Key facts
- Only approximately 6,000 square meters have been excavated
- Site is estimated to be 120,000 square meters in total area
- Multiple layers of occupation show long-term continuous use
- Excavations continue in 2026
- Karahan Tepe is part of a broader cultural system extending across southeastern Turkey into Syria and the Levant
- The settlement dates to the end of the last ice age - a key transition period climatically and socially
Site mentioned
Sources
Karahan Tepe - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The site is located near Yağmurlu and roughly 46 kilometers east of Göbekli Tepe, which is often called its sister site. It was discovered in 1997 by Bahattin ...
The massive Turkish ruin that's 6,000 years older than Stonehengesaexpeditions.com
Karahan Tepe excavated site. Statues of Karahan Tepe excavation, archaeological site in Turkey. Sites across the Fertile Crescent are helping ...
Karahantepe: The Prehistoric Site Rewriting Human Historykarahan-tepe.com
Karahantepe is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic settlement in southeastern Turkey dating to approximately 9600–8000 BCE, spanning roughly 14 hectares ...
Karahantep – in Eastern Turkey – maybe older Göbekli Tepefarhorizons.com
Karahan Tepe is believed to be considerably larger than Göbekli Tepe, covering an area of about 33 acres. Gobekli Tepe is dated between 9500 and ...
Karahan Tepe — The Hidden Archaeological Marvel of Turkeyserendipitytours.com.au
Karahan Tepe is not finished. Ninety-five percent of it is still underground. If this site were a novel, we have read the first three pages.
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