Civilizations Around The World: Gobekli Tepe

Gobekli Tepe is pre-historic site that was built roughly twelve thousand years ago.  The site is located southeastern Turkey in the town of Sanliurfa. Its excavations began in 1995 by Professor Klaus Schmidt with the help of the German Archeological Institute. Archaeological findings have proposed that Gobekli tepe was used for religious or ritual purposes. Gobekli Tepe is said to be the oldest human-made site/structure yet to be discovered.

 One of the things Gobekli Tepe is known for is its giant T-shaped monolithic stone pillars or statues made of limestone. Height of the stones range from 3 to 6 meters and weigh from 40 to 60 tons. How and why these giant stones were erected is still a mystery.

How they were erected?

Scattered throughout the site and depicted on the pillars are abstract symbols and relief’s of foxes, lions, cattle, snakes, wild boars, cranes, ducks. Most of these were carved into the flat surfaces of these pillars and others are three-dimensional sculptures for example a shape of a lion, descending on the side of a T-pillar.

Gobekli Tepe is another long forgotten civilization that had advanced knowledge. Who they were or what they looked like is still a mystery. Five percent of the site has only been excavated, so it will be about another fifty years until any major findings that can help explain who the people of Gobekli Tepe were.  

About the Author

I'm Jose Pierre and I like learning about all aspects of culture, both ancient and modern. I enjoy learning how they communicated, expressed themselves, and their technology.