Building community – Göbeklitepe, Taş Tepeler and life 12,000 years ago

“12,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers built in modern south-eastern Türkiye monumental structures—architectural and artistic works that archaeologists are still busy deciphering today. In collaboration with Türkiye, spectacular archaeological finds from Göbeklitepe and other sites in the surroundings are now coming to Berlin’s Museum Island. The world of hunter-gatherers at the transition to sedentary life was rich in fascinating images and symbols: colossal statues, monumental buildings, and massive, sculpturally decorated T-pillars—stylised human figures up to six metres high. Who created them, and what do they mean? Long before Stonehenge was erected or the first pyramids were built, the first settled communities in the Şanlıurfa province created unique monumental buildings adorned with spectacular, larger-than-life sculptures. These sites include Göbeklitepe, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, as well as several other locations in the surrounding area. …”