Göbeklitepe is an archaeological site in Turkey
Göbeklitepe is an archaeological site in Turkey. The artificial mound in the area was built in 10000 BC as a kind of temple. The site’s location is in Örencik Villiage. The village is approximately 15 km northeast of Şanlıurfa, a city in The Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. The artificial mound’s height in this area is 15 meters. It is also about 300 meters in diameter. The fake bank was also used as a social meeting place beside a temple. The use type of the tell is a claim of Klaus Schmidt, the site discoverer and excavator.
The first times of building the structures in Göbeklitepe were in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A. The stones’ shapes are like the letter “T.” It was combined with one horizontal stone on two pillar stones in general. The people have had erected massive stones as circles.
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Latest Discoveries About Göbeklitepe
The megaliths are the world’s oldest known structures. The latest discoveries about the area were made in May 2020. All world have interested in the area after the improvements. In the last few years, many people around the world came to the site to see there. According to the previous discoveries, there are at least 200 pillars in circles. The circles’ count is approximately 20. Geophysical surveys are continuing in the Göbeklitepe area in Turkey. According to the experts, the excavation work must be ongoing for 150 years more.
Each pillar in the area has 6 meters in heights and 10 tons of weights. The posts were found fitted into the sockets. The sockets were also hewn out of the local bedrock. Further information about the function of the structure is still a mystery. The site was also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey in 2018.
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Geographical Features of Göbeklitepe Location
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Göbeklitepe is on a flat plateau where it is barren. There are many buildings in all open areas. In the north of the table is attached to a mountain range with a narrow promontory. The plateau where Göbeklitepe is also a perfect place to travel. On the other side of the table, the mountain range derogates steeply through to cliffs and slopes.
In addition to the ruins in the artificial mound, there are other evidence of human existence there. This evidence is a kind of tool belong to those times. Archaeological finds have been found all over the plateau.
Structural Features of Göbeklitepe
According to the ruins, the artificial mound includes two phases of use. The first one belongs to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A. The second one belongs to the
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B. In the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, the pillar is smaller than the others. There are a lot of historical construction types in Göbeklitepe and around. The shorter erected posts found stood on f
loors of polished lime in rectangular rooms. Experts claim that, after the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B, the people who lived here abandoned the area. The younger structures belong to classical times.
Monoliths and Sculptures of Göbeklitepe
There are many symbols on the kinds of stones. You can see a monolith with possible bird figures and a pillar with a fox sculpture there. There are also low relief figures, which similar to a fox, bull, and crane. You will also see the statue of a wild boar, which belongs to 9000 BC, and Vulture Stone in the Göbeklitepe area. The sculpture of a predatory animal in high relief catching prey in low relief is also so attractive. Lastly, a sort of totem pole with portions of humanoid figures which belong to 8800–8000 BC is presented in Şanlıurfa Museum. Nowadays, the excavation has been continuing since 1996 by the German Archaeological Institute. Yet, the significant parts remain unexcavated.