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What is the oldest archaeological site in Turkey?

What is the oldest archaeological site in Turkey?

Göbekli Tepe
At around 12,000 years old, Göbekli Tepe in south-east Turkey has been billed as the world’s oldest temple. It is many millennia older than Stonehenge or Egypt’s great pyramids, built in the pre-pottery Neolithic period before writing or the wheel.

What is special about Gobekli Tepe?

Located in modern Turkey, Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The discovery of this stunning 10,000 year old site in the 1990s CE sent shock waves through the archaeological world and beyond, with some researchers even claiming it was the site of the biblical Garden of Eden.

Is Gobekli Tepe the oldest civilization?

At 12,000 years old, Gobekli Tepe predated humanity’s oldest known civilizations. Its megalithic temples were cut from rock millennia before the 4,500-year-old pyramids in Egypt, 5,000-year-old Stonehenge in England, or 7,000-year-old Nabta Playa, the oldest known astronomical site.

What is the oldest civilization in Turkey?

Dated to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, between c. 9500 and 8000 BCE, the site comprises a number of large circular structures supported by massive stone pillars – the world’s oldest known megaliths….Göbekli Tepe.

History
State party Turkey
Region Western Asia

When was gobekli made?

11,000 to 12,000 years ago
Göbekli Tepe (which translates to “potbelly hill” in Turkish) was built some 11,000 to 12,000 years ago — hundreds of years before any evidence of farming or animal domestication emerged on the planet. So it’s thought that this massive undertaking was the work of hunter gatherers.

Why was gobekli abandoned?

Schmidt believes that’s why Göbekli Tepe was abandoned: “They did not need it anymore. Now they are farmers and they find new expressions of their religious beliefs.” Schmidt sees no continuity between the Neolithic hunter-gatherers and any more recent culture.

What are the mysteries surrounding Göbekli Tepe?

The mystery about Göbekli Tepe is that the decline seems to have been not just in ambition but also in craftsmanship. This contradicts all notions we have about the progress of history. It seems that there was a higher level of craftsmanship earlier in its history than later — yet another mystery from potbelly hill.

Who lived at Göbekli Tepe?

hunter-gatherers
The hunter-gatherers who built the temple lived in a world that predated writing, metal, or pottery, and at a time when archaeologists thought humanity had yet to group together to worship with priests and sacrifices, yet these Neolithic worshippers somehow organized themselves and found a way to cut and transport …

Who created Göbekli Tepe?

Reshaping previous ideas on the story of civilisation, Gobekli Tepe in Turkey was built by a prehistoric people 6,000 years before Stonehenge. When German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt first began excavating on a Turkish mountaintop 25 years ago, he was convinced the buildings he uncovered were unusual, even unique.

Is anything older than Stonehenge?

Arthur’s Stone dates to around 3700 B.C.E., making it a millennium older than Stonehenge, which was constructed around 2500 B.C.E. Per Atlas Obscura, the tomb consists of nine standing stones that support a 25-ton, 13- by 7-foot quartz capstone.

Who built Gobekli?

hunter gatherers

Is Göbekli Tepe similar to megalithic walls in Peru?

Although much younger than Göbekli Tepe, the megalithic walls are indistinguishable from polygonal walls found all over Peru.

What are the megalithic walls of Peru?

Although much younger than Göbekli Tepe, the megalithic walls are indistinguishable from polygonal walls found all over Peru. The jigsaw, irregularly shaped blocks, with some weighing more than twenty tons apiece are a unique style that were once thought to only exist in that part of South America.

Where are the world’s most famous megalithic skulls?

Top middle: Elongated skull from Puma Punku, Bolivia. Bottom middle: Two Paracas Culture skulls, Peru (Ica Museum, and Paracas History Museum). Right: Female Moai from Easter Island, with long head. One final megalithic connection that has mostly remained unnoticed is the tradition of leaving the ‘largest monolith in the quarry’.

What do the walls at Alaca Höyük and hattusu look like?

However, at Alaca Höyük and nearby Hattusu, they are not flat-faced walls. They look ‘puffy’, basically protruding from the joins, which some researchers say look like pillows. It does not seem to follow any particular plan, but it was a popular technique favored by the ancient megalith builders.