On Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, archaeologist Klaus Schmidt discovered carved stone pillars more than 11,000 years old (6,000 years older than Stonehenge). This was a time period before domesticated animals, pottery, and metal tools. Hunter-gatherers most likely carved the pillars out of limestone by using stone tools. The site was a ritual center, Schmidt thought. This clashes with the belief that religious rituals began only after the domestication of animals and crops. Could Gobekli Tepe have been the birthplace of religion? Tourists began flocking to the site. Schmidt died in 2012, but archaeologist Lee Clare continued to explore the site and found evidence of year-round settlement. Clare suggests that the site was created by hunter-gatherers who were clinging to their vanishing lifestyle.
Key Takeaways:
- Gobekli Tepe which is a civilization in Turkey was structured 6000 years ahead of Stonehedge and consists of 20 circular stone enclosures.
- The tools excavated at the site indicate hunter-gathers built the circular enclosures. There were tens of thousands of animal bones as well.
- This is now a popular tourist spot for those who want a glimpse at the past.
“After a decade of work, Schmidt reached a remarkable conclusion. When I visited his dig house in Urfa’s old town in 2007, Schmidt – then working for the German Archaeological Institute – told me Gobekli Tepe could help rewrite the story of civilization by explaining the reason humans started farming and began living in permanent settlements.”
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210815-an-immense-mystery-older-than-stonehenge
