by AlexHunger

August 2006

from Megalithic Website

 

 

  • Site Name: Göbekli Tepe

  • Country: Turkey

  • Type: Ancient Temple

  • Nearest Town: Sanliurfa

  • Nearest Village: Karapinar

  • Latitude: 37.476300 N

  • Longitude: 39.011000 E

 

Ancient Temple in South Eastern Turkey, in Province of Sanliurfa

on the Harran plain towards Syria near one of the Euphrates arms.

Ancient Late Pre Pottery Neolithic B temple site, apparently dating to 9,000 BCE

and apparently abandoned when the water supply dried up.

The site would predate that of Jericho.

Only Flintstone and bone tools have been found as ceramics hadn't been invented yet.

 

 

Excavated between 1995 and 2005 by Dr. Klaus Schmidt of the Deutsches Archäologische Institut.


Judging from the published drawings and photos, there are what appear to be 6 buildings with elaborately carved T shaped megalithic pillars, among others. There are numerous animal and mystical signs engraved on the pillars, while the walls are made of good masonry.

 

The workmanship is much better than that of significantly more recent archaeological sites. One is reminded, to some extent of the temples in Malta, which were built 5,000 years later. Some of the artifacts and at least one pillar were taken to the museum in Sanliurfa.

Dr. Schmidt elaborately describes the research and excavations in his book "Sie Bauten Die Ersten Tempel," published by the C.H. Beck publishing house in München in 2006.


The title translates to "They built the first temples." Dr. Schmidt is working on the theory that temples predated fixed settlements during the early Neolithic.

 

As of this time, there was no answer to the question of an English translation becoming available in the near future.

 

 

The central Pillar of Segment D of Göbekli Tepe has clearly recognizable engravings

representing arms of an anthropomorphic character.

There is also an "H" symbol in the corner.

There are 5 more, usually smaller such pillared areas on this site, many of the pillars having elaborate carvings.

Göbekli Tepe is apparently a Pre Pottery Neolithic Temple dating back to about 9,000 BCE near