Göbekli Tepe, the world’s earliest-known temple, was built around 11 500 years ago, whenwoolly mammoths still roamed the Earth, and Britain wasn’t yet an island.
In 1963, scientists from Istanbul University and the University of Chicago found ancientstone tools while conducting a survey on the hill of Göbekli Tepe (which means ‘potbellyhill’ in Turkish) not far from the city of Şanlıurfa in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. While thesite was considered a sacred place, and they identi¦ed large stone slabs as well – whichthey believed were grave markers -, no excavations were carried out.
However, 31 years later, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt decided to re-examine thearea that was described in 1963. After locals guided Schmidt to the site, he realized that the hill could, in fact, hide the remains of prehistoric megaliths.
Excavations began a year later, in 1995, and archeologists soon unearthed a T-shapedpillar, which was followed by a number of large circular structures, and massive stonepillars.
Archaeologists have determined that the structures were built in the Neolithic period,around 11,500-11,000 years ago, well before the age of settled agricultural lifestyle kickedin. This means the site 7,000 years older than the Stonehenge, and according to thegeneral consensus among scientists, the exceptional archeological site of Göbekli Tepe isindeed the oldest temple ever identi¦ed.
The enormous, round stone structures and monumental stone pillars – some of whichreach up to 19 feet (5,5 meters) in height – are richly decorated with abstract details.These carvings include different symbols, and animals, such as serpents, foxes, and boars,but some man-like ¦gures are also present.
Archaeologists have also found carved skull fragments at the site, along with statues andcarvings depicting headless people.
According to a study, published in Science Advances, cut marks on the bones suggest thatsomeone removed the §esh and then carved the bones with deep, straight grooves runningfrom the front to the back. One of the skulls even had a hole drilled through it andcontained traces of red ochre, which was known to be used for cave paintings and rituals.
Analysis of the skulls con¦rms that the incisions were made with stone tools, not long afterthe individuals had died. Based on the depth of the incisions, the researchers concludedthat they were scalping marks. Other small traumas on the skulls suggest that the §eshhad indeed, been skinned off.
Archeologists believe that the discovery of these skulls is evidence of a Neolithic skull cultin the area, which was’t uncommon in Anatolia.
While these ¦ndings may feel a bit creepy to some, they provide archaeologists withremarkable insights into prehistoric religions and symbolism.
For a long time, it was unclear whether the structures of Göbekli Tepe were built in arandom pattern, or if they were the results of careful planning. The reason why thisquestion spurred controversy is that the temple’s age suggests that it was built by huntergatherers. But the architectural techniques to build such a complex could have only beenachieved by a society that had mastered agriculture.
Still, based on a study by archaeologists at Tel Aviv University (AFTAU), Göbekli Tepe,which dates back to a period well before the beginnings of settled agricultural lifestyle, isthe result of precise engineering.
The scientists used an algorithm to analyze the architectural layout of the unearthedcomplex. They found that if the columns in the middle of the circular structures areconnected by a line, they form a perfect equilateral triangle. This architectural complexitysuggests that the builders of Göbekli Tepe were working based on a preconceivedgeometric plan.
If the structures were built according to some kind of blueprint, it implies a high degree ofcollaboration and long-term planning, which is unusual in hunter-gatherer societies.Furthermore, rectangular architecture and square shapes can also be observed at Göebli Tepe, and those weren’t common during the Stone Age, which lasted to around 3300 BC.
“Our ¦ndings suggest that major architectural transformations during this period, such asthe transition to rectangular architecture, were knowledge-based, top-down processescarried out by specialists. (…) Our research indicates that the methods of architecturalplanning, abstract design rules, and organizational patterns were already being used duringthis formative period in human history,” said Gil Haklay, co-author of the study, anddepartment member of the Israel Antiquities Authority
It looks like that the oldest temple in the world also holds many secrets, and uncoveringthese mysteries is made even more di¨cult by the fact that it was built in an era whenwriting wasn’t yet invented. But that makes some archaeologists even more determined tolearn as much as possible about this remarkable piece of human history.
