Information About Göbeklitepe
Göbeklitepe or Göbekli Tepe is the oldest known group of cult buildings in the world, located approximately 22 km northeast of Sanliurfa, near Orencik Village. The common feature of these structures is a T-shaped obelisk with 10-12 rows arranged in a circular plan and built between them with a stone wall. In the center of this structure, two obelisks of higher height are placed opposite each other. Human, hand and arm, various animal and abstract symbols are depicted on most of these obelisks by embossing or engraving. The motifs in question were used intensely to be an ornament. This composition is thought to represent a story, a narrative or a message. Bull, wild boar, fox, snake, wild ducks and vulture are the most common motifs in animal motifs. It is defined as a cult center, not a settlement. It is understood that the cult structures here were built by the last hunter groups close to the transition to production - agriculture and animal husbandry. In other words, Göbekli Tepe is an important cult center for hunter-gatherer groups that have a highly developed and deep-rooted belief system. In this case, it is suggested that the earliest use of the region dates back to phase A of the Pottery Neolithic (PPN, Pre-Pottery Neolithic) (9,600-7,300 BC), ie at least 11,600 years ago. However, it is not possible to date the oldest activities at Göbekli Tepe, but when we look at these monumental structures, it is thought that it has a history dating back to the Paleolithic Age and a few thousand years old and going back to epipalaeolitic. It appears that Göbekli Tepe was used as a cult center until around 8,000 BC and was abandoned after these dates and not used for other or similar purposes.
All these and the monumental architecture unearthed in the excavations make Göbekli Tepe unique and special. In this context, it was included in the World Heritage temporary list by UNESCO in 2011 and in 2018 it became a permanent list.
All these obelisks are interpreted as stylized human statues. In particular, the human hand and arm motifs on the body of the D-shaped central obelisks eliminate any doubt. Therefore, the term "obelisk" is used as an auxiliary concept that does not specify a function. Essentially, these "obelisks" are stylized sculptures that depict the human body in three dimensions.
Some of the statues and stones unearthed during the excavations are exhibited in the Sanliurfa Museum.
Research and Excavations
Göbekli Tepe was discovered in 1963 during the h Prehistoric Research in Southeastern Anatolia yüzey survey conducted by Istanbul University and Chicago University. A few of the usual and unseen hills were covered with thousands of broken flintstone debris, which were certainly built by man. Based on the finds collected from the surface of the mound during the surveys, it was concluded that this area might be one of the important settlements of the region such as Biris Cemetery (Epipalaeolithic) and Söğüt Field 1 (Paleolithic and Epipaleolithic), Söğüt Field 2 (Pottery Neolithic). The region was first mentioned in 1980's Peter Benedict's article "Survey Work in Southeastern Anatolia". However, it has not been emphasized. In 1994, Klaus Schmidt of the University of Heidelberg conducted another research in the region. Only then was the monumental characteristic of the site and its archaeological value.
Excavations were initiated in 1995 after the survey conducted by the Sanliurfa Museum and under the scientific consultancy of Harald Hauptmann of the German Institute of Archeology (DAI) in Istanbul. Immediately afterwards, excavations were initiated under the direction of Şanlıurfa Museum and under the supervision of Klaus Schmidt. Since 2007, the excavations have been carried out by the Council of Ministers with a determined excavation status and again from the German Archaeological Institute. Dr. Continued under the chairmanship of Klaus Schmidt. The German Prehistoric Institute of Heidelberg University also participated in the project. For years, detailed excavations have provided reliable scientific results to rewrite the Neolithic Revolution and its ground.
Stratigraphy
The excavations yield four layers at Göbekli Tepe. Layer I at the top is the surface fill. The other three layers
II. Layer A: Obelisk Square Structures (8 thousand - 9 thousand BC)
The layer is dated to the Pottery Neolithic B phase. Obelisked and rectangular planned structures were unearthed. It was concluded that these structures were cult structures in the same way due to their similarity with the temple in Nevali Çori. The “Lion Building tipik, which is considered to be the typical structure of this layer, shows a lion relief on two of the four obelisks.
II. B. Layer: Round - Oval Structures (evaluated as an intermediate layer)
Dating from the pottery Neolithic A-B transition phase, the structures of this layer were built in round or oval planes.
III. Layer: Obelisk Circular Structures (9 thousand - 10 thousand BC)
This lower layer dating to the pottery Neolithic A is considered to be the most important layer of Göbekli Tepe.
Klaus Schmidt, who presided over the excavations from the beginning, outlined the II. and III. It refers to the layer. According to Schmidt III. The layer is older and is represented by structures consisting of 10-12 obelisks and round walls enclosing them and two higher and opposing obelisks in the center of it. II. The level is represented by smaller scale structures with quadrangular plan, where one or two smaller obelisks are present - some do not have obelisks. III: Stratigraphy: Pottery Neolithic A; Layer is located in the early and middle phases of the Pottery Neolithic B. Schmidt, III. Stratigraphy: The layer should be dated to the 10th millennium BC and the newer layer to the 9th millennium BC. However, III. The radiocarbon dating of the material taken from the newly uncovered structures in Laya shows that these structures are not completely contemporary with each other. The earliest date comes from Structure D. According to these data, Structure D was built in the middle of the 10th millennium BC and was abandoned at the end of the same millennium. The outer wall of Structure C appears to have been built at a later date than Structure D, while Structure A appears to have been built after both. However, it is also acknowledged that more data is needed to fully verify this assessment.
Finds
Architectural
During the excavations at Göbekli Tepe, no architectural remains could be reached. Instead, a large number of monumental cult structures were uncovered. It is suggested that the obelisks used in the buildings were cut and processed from the surrounding rocky plateaus as one piece and brought to Göbekli Tepe. Some have a length of 7 meters. Geophysical surveys show that nearly 300 obelisks have been used in the structures at Göbekli Tepe, including those unearthed to date. There are cut but unprocessed obelisks in the region and there are some cavities and scrapings on the rocky plateaus around which the purpose is not understood. On the other hand, the round and oval pits, most of which are collected in the western part of the plateau, are thought to be a type of cistern to collect rainwater. The round ones show a depth between 1,20-3,00 meters while those with an oval plan have a depth of 0,50 meters.
The obelisks were mostly built with carved stones as walls. On the inner side of the wall there is a set of stones. Pieces of broken obelisks or stones collected and processed from the vicinity were used in the construction of the wall. 2 cm thick slime mortar was used between the stones. As the obelisks are stylized human statues, it can be said that these walls bring people together. However, this mortar caused serious problems. Above all, the abrasion caused by rain water and wind has damaged. On the other hand, it created an easy-to-drill area for various insects.
None of the uncovered structures yielded evidence of a roof. In other words, it is understood that these structures are open air temples.
III. Layer
III. In the first year of the excavations, four structures were unearthed and named as A, B, C and D. In the later excavations, three other structures called E, F and G were unearthed. Geomagnetic measurements show that there are at least twenty monumental structures in this way. The common architectural features were found in these excavated excavated buildings. The main body of the buildings was formed by erecting 10-12 large obelisks in circular plan with certain spacers. The obelisks were joined by a bench and a wall made of processed stones. In this way, two walls were built together and a corridor was formed between them. In the center of the innermost circle, there are two obelisks of larger size placed opposite each other. In this way, while the free-standing stones in the center are partially buried in the walls and benches.
Among the unearthed structures, structures C and D have a diameter of 30 meters and structure B has a diameter of 15 meters. Structure A has an oval plan and has a diameter of approximately 15 and 10 meters. In the center of these four buildings are two limestone obelisks with relief decoration and 4-5 meters in height (the central obelisks of Structure D are approximately 5.5 meters high). In the same way, the obelisks on the inner and outer walls with reliefs are facing the center but smaller in size and approximately 3-4 meters in height.
The whole group was deliberately and rapidly covered by a pile in the Neolithic Age. This heap consists of limestone fragments, most of which are smaller than the punch. But among them are shattered objects, most of which are made of flint, such as stone tools and grinding stones, which are clearly visible from human hands. On the other hand, a large number of broken animal horns and bones were used in this process. Most of the bones were defined as gazelles and wild cattle. Other animal bones include red deer, onager, wild boar. What is interesting is that human bones as well as animal bones can be found in this fill. They are just like animal bones broken into small pieces. Although the first cannibalism comes to mind, the possibility of a burial practice seems to be closer. It is a tradition that has been identified many times in the Near East of the Pottery Neolithic Age, after the death of the human body.
It is still unknown what purpose and idea the structures are covered. On the other hand, the structures here have survived to this day thanks to this masonry filling. In this respect, today's archeology owes much to this masonry fill. The same fill, however, poses two important difficulties for archeology. Above all, the loose material of the masonry filler created additional difficulties during excavations. The main difficulty is that the results of radiocarbon dating may be misleading. Because it is possible to discard the new parts at the bottom and the older ones at the top.
A pit with a diameter of about 10 meters in structure C has been known since the beginning of the excavations. It was found during the excavations of this structure that the pit was "built to open up the central obelisks and then smash these obelisks, and this goal was reached to the extent that the obelisks were broken into pieces." In fact, with the powerful strokes made to open the pit, the upper part of the eastern obelisk was divided into pieces and distributed around. However, the trunk remained in place. Nevertheless, the relief bull figure on the body shows intense ruptures under the influence of a large fire. Looking at the sherds found in the area, it is suggested that this pit was opened during a period between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
Excavations uncovered in the C, D and E structure of these cult structures were uncovered with terrazzo technique, as is generally seen in the pottery Neolithic Neolithic Age in Southeastern Anatolia. Their bases were obtained by smooth and smooth processing of the bedrock. In other structures, the floor is made of quicklime with a hardness of polished concrete by terrazzo technique. The central obelisks of structure C were also seated in the 50 cm pedestal cavities opened on the bedrock by squeezing them with small stones and mud. In structure D, the base cavities of the central obelisks are 15 cm.
Structure C has a different structure than the others. In the south-facing entrance there is an outwardly extending entrance. It has the appearance of a dromos defined as a rectangular entrance in round buildings.
It is understood that four of these temples (A, B, C and D) were the oldest and were built approximately 12 thousand years ago. It is suggested that similar cult structures were built in Çayönü, Hallan Çemi and Nevali Çori about a thousand years after these dates. Therefore, Göbekli Tepe is in the pre-appearance of these settlements.
In some obelisks, especially the humanoid arms and hand reliefs on the obstructions of Structure D are interpreted as representing the human body. Horizontal part head; the vertical part represents the body. Essentially, these "obelisks" are stylized sculptures that depict the human body in three dimensions. Both wide surfaces are taken as sides and narrow surfaces as front and rear. Structure D In the central obelisks (Obelisk 18 and Obelisk 31), there is further evidence that they symbolize human beings. Both obelisks have open reliefs with arches under the arms. Belt buckles are also machined. Furthermore, on these belts, embroideries representing a "loincloth" from the fox fur are seen downwards. However, in all obelisks, there is no element that indicates gender in the way it stylizes human beings. Obviously, the lowest level was found sufficient to symbolize. Although the central obelisks of Structure D seem to be quite detailed, the peshtemal mentioned here covers the gender. However, it is suggested that these descriptions are male, based on the fact that arched clay figurines found in Nevali Çori excavations about 48 km northwest of the bird flight are always male.
Often there are reliefs in the form of two bands on the front face of the obelisk and reliefs resembling a long garment. It is thought that these reliefs represent a special garment and are an important element of rituals and are worn by certain people. In this context, it is asserted that the people represented by the central columns should play an important role in these rituals. According to the excavation chief Klaus Schmidt, it is possible that the two obelisks in the center are twins or at least brothers, as it is a common theme in mythology.
Nevertheless, the most common motifs are not human beings but wild animal motifs. Wild animals used in the motifs show a wide variety and coincide with the fauna of the region. Feline, bull, wild boar, fox, crane, duck, vulture, hyena, gazelle, wild donkey, snake, spider and scorpion are some of them. In Structure A, the serpent is predominantly used in reliefs on obelisks. It is the most used of the 17 animal species in the descriptions of this structure. Often, intertwined snakes are seen. In Structure B, fox reliefs, especially two foxes on the front of two obelisks in the center, are striking. Structure C is the structure that gives weight to wild boars. Not only in the reliefs of the obelisks, but also in stone sculptures. Most of the wild boar statues unearthed were removed from this structure. However, no snake motif was used in the obelisks of this structure. Only one snake relief is located on one of the horizontal stone slabs in the south. In Structure D, however, there is a wide variety of figures including wild boars, wild oxes, gazelles, wild donkeys, cranes, storks, ibis, ducks, and a feline, but predominantly snakes and foxes.
The head of the excavation, Klaus Schmidt, argues that these animals, which appear as reliefs or sculptures, do not need to have played an important role in the daily lives of people, and that their purpose is based on a mythological expression. On the other hand, it is remarkable that in all these animal motifs, all mammals are described as males. In both human and animal motifs, the female is hardly seen. There are only one exception to the motifs that have emerged to date. A naked woman is depicted in a stone slab between the obelisks, which is defined as a lion column.
A very interesting example of the relief on the obelisk is the composition on the obelisk XXV. One of the reliefs is a stylized human relief depicted from the front. The head of the figure, which is expressed as a petrified image, is processed as a facial expression similar to the skull. When the obelisk pieces are brought together, there is a small animal figure of 10 cm at a distance of 25 cm to the human motif. The four legs of the animal, which is understood to be canine, are seen with the tail raised up and curled towards the trunk.
II. Layer
II. There are no circular structures in the Layer; However, III. The T-shaped obelisks, one of the main architectural elements of the cult structures in Tabaka, continued to be used. The structures in this layer are mostly cult structures. However, it is observed that the size of the obelisk has decreased and the size of the buildings has decreased. III. The average height of obelisks in Tabaka was 3.5 meters. It is 1.5 meters in Layer.
Small finds
Most of the small finds uncovered during the excavations were stone tools used by the workers. Almost all of these are flint tools. Obsidian stone tools are exceptions. The source of obsidian used in these instruments is mostly seen as Bingöl A, B and Göllüdağ (Cappadocia). The fact that the stones used in these tools are from Cappadocia, 500 km away, from Lake Van 250 km away, and from Northeast Anatolia, 500 km away, constitutes a completely different puzzle. In addition to stone tools, limestone and basalt carved material were also found. These are mostly stone vessels, stone beads, small figurines, grinding stones and pestles. Among the other small finds, flat axes were made of nephrite and amphiolite, while jewelry was made of serpentine.
Apart from stone tools, many statues were unearthed. Some of these are human heads made of limestone made of usual sizes. The fractures suggest that they were detached from the main statues. A remarkable find other than sculptures is a totem-like work unearthed during the 2011 excavations. Height 1.87 meters, width 38 cm. on the totem carved from limestone.
Other finds
Einkorn grains of wild wheat type were found in the examination of the extracted soil. No evidence of domesticated species of cereal has yet been found. Other plant remains identified are only wild species of almonds and peanuts. Finds from animal bones belong to many different animal species. The most common ones among them are the fauna of the Tigris basin such as gazelle, wild cattle and toy bird. Despite this diversity, there is no evidence of domestic species.
Reviews and comments
Until the excavations at Göbekli Tepe, the world of science has interpreted hunter-gatherer societies thought to be organized in small nomadic groups to very simple standards. However, as a cult center in the excavations, monumental architecture, large stone sculptures, symbolic motifs and stylized recreations show that at least the communities in this region should have a highly developed and multi-faceted social structure. All these finds unearthed in Göbekli Tepe reveal the existence of organizational development, personal art skills and ritual impulses, a kind of art understanding and quest for bringing crowded groups together to carry out such activities. In the light of these findings, the scientific world has to review the dominant views on the socio-cultural structure of hunter-gatherer societies.
The results obtained also changed the generally accepted views on symbolism. The traditional view of archeology was that the agricultural revolution (see the Neolithic Revolution) provided communities with abundant and safe food resources and time so that they could develop a monumental architecture and a rich symbolic narrative. However, it is understood that it was not the agricultural communities who built Göbekli Tepe. The world of science recognized that hunter-gatherer groups were small units, that they had to struggle to provide food every day, and that they could only save that day. Building such cult structures and using these centers for their purposes certainly requires a large number of people to withdraw from hunting and gathering for a while. The excavation chairman Klaus Schmidt and his team believe that at least 500 people must have worked to cut tons of obelisks from the rocks, process them, bring them to Göbekli Tepe at a distance of half a kilometer and build the structures. First of all, these people need to be fed. In view of this situation, it is argued that the need to provide the nutrients these people are forcing these communities to explore agriculture. Indeed, III. There is a large number of animal bones in the fill pile used to cover the layer structures later. The number of animal bone fragments found exceeds 100,000. This situation shows that a lot of meat is consumed in Göbekli Tepe. In addition to meeting the needs of the employees, this meat consumption may have met the needs of the people coming from the feasts in the rituals organized here, and may even be used in sacrifice ceremonies. This undoubtedly led people to seek broader food sources. All this is expressed by the archaeologist Ian Hodder in his thesis that sociocultural changes take place before agriculture. In this context, it has been questioned in the light of the Göbekli Tepe finds that the core region of the Neolithic Revolution might be the southern skirts of the Taurus Mountains rather than the Levant.
Another issue addressed by archaeologists is how the highly complex organization required by the construction of these structures can be provided by hunter-gatherer communities. Harald Hauptmann of the German Archaeological Institute argues that this organization was led by "religious" leaders. In this case, it is necessary to accept that an "elite" stratification occurred in these societies. Klaus Schmidt states that the communities that built Göbekli Tepe are a stratified society. However, the point of view that dominated the Göbekli Tepe in the scientific world was that complex religious practices and organization emerged only in communities where agriculture was the dominant livelihood. However, Göbekli Tepe forces this approach to be questioned. Indeed, employing the labor force that would reveal such monumental structures from the hunter-gatherer groups in the vicinity will be based on a long history of faith.
On the other hand, there is an inevitable skill especially in animal reliefs. In other words, there is a stylization that can be called art. It is seen as works made by an expert artist and made by someone who knows that style. Therefore, it is obvious that this style of art should have a long history.
On the other hand, similar symbols of these symbols found on Göbekli Tepe, but on a smaller scale, have been unearthed during archaeological excavations in a region extending to northern Iraq and Syria. Based on these data, it is suggested that Göbekli Tepe was a center of cultural interaction in the Neolithic Period.
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