In October 1994, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt embarked on a reconnaissance mission in southern Turkey. Schmidt had read a report by a University of Chicago archaeologist who, in the 1960s, had discovered a mound containing archaeological remains near a village close to Urfa. The archaeologist considered the site unremarkable, noting only the presence of a medieval cemetery and several flint tools. But Schmidt had a hunch and wanted to investigate further.
Schmidt and his team began searching for the site, initially without success. “We stopped without seeing any archaeological trace, only the tracks of flocks of sheep and goats.” Finally, 14 kilometers from the city of Sanliurfa, they located a mound that the locals called Göbekli Tepe, “potbelly hill.” Schmidt immediately realized that the mound was not natural, but the result of human activity. On its surface, they found scattered fragments of limestone and a large quantity of flint chips: “As we approached the hill, the surface began to glow […]. It was like a carpet of thousands of fiery crystals: fragments of man-made artifacts.”.
Pillars and reliefs
Within minutes, the importance of the discovery became clear. Archaeologists soon stumbled upon fragments of large, carved blocks and also identified remains of sculpture. Schmidt's decision was made: "My plan, which was to visit many more Neolithic sites this autumn, quickly evaporated in light of this discovery. How could this place have gone unnoticed until now?"
Excavations began the following year and unearthed impressive megalithic structures: at least twenty T-shaped limestone pillar circles, some bearing human-like features and decorated with a series of animal reliefs, some highly refined. Analysis revealed the site's remarkable age, dating back to around 9000-7500 BC, the heart of the Neolithic period.
The complex consists of several successive structures, built one on top of the other. Although it is not yet possible to establish a clear chronological sequence, an earlier phase is evident, characterized by larger, more elaborate pillars and richer reliefs. The largest monoliths (placed in the center of the structures) must have originally been 5.5 meters high and carved from a single piece that could weigh 40 tons. In the later phase, the size of the pillars was reduced, and they were anchored in the ground less skillfully. The reliefs were of lower quality, and the structures appeared surrounded by rectangular walls. Finally, activity at Göbekli Tepe ceased completely around 7500 BC.
Was it a sanctuary?
In 2000, Klaus Schmidt proposed the theory that Göbekli Tepe was a Neolithic religious center , which would make it the oldest temple in history; at least six millennia older than the megalithic complex of Stonehenge in Great Britain. According to Schmidt, the complex would have been built by groups of hunter-gatherers who periodically made pilgrimages from an area of up to two hundred kilometers around to celebrate rituals associated with the animal forces represented on the pillars of the complex.
Schmidt's interpretation is based on the reliefs carved on the pillars of Göbekli Tepe. These pillars—comparable to those of the nearby temples of Nevali Çöri, submerged by a recently constructed dam—resemble stylized, headless human figures with sculpted arms on either side, ending in hands that point toward the abdomen, covered by a kind of loincloth. They all face inward toward the circle, "as if at a gathering or a dance." According to Schmidt, they represent the underworld.
The missing heads could be related to the custom of removing skulls from graves. The burial of the structures is also intriguing: Did they lose their spiritual power over time? Or was the ceremony associated with a specific event or person, such as a clan chief?
Revolutionary theory
Schmidt believes that the discovery of Göbekli Tepe changes our understanding of Neolithic development. Contrary to the conventional view that the invention of agriculture led to a sedentary lifestyle, Schmidt argues that in the case of Göbekli Tepe, religion was the driving force behind the change. Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer groups began settling in the area to store and defend their food sources in order to supply the temple.
However, scholars such as Ted Banning have questioned whether Göbekli Tepe was exclusively a religious center and not a settlement, and whether its builders were hunter-gatherers, since small mills and flint sickles, typical of farmers, have been found.
Geophysical surveys at Göbekli Tepe have shown that the site covered 90,000 square meters and that fifteen more enclosures remain buried. It appears that some of these could be older than the four excavated to date, dating back to the end of the last Ice Age, around 15,000 years ago; this would therefore predate the first evidence of agriculture by 5,000 years.
