Göbeklitepe: The Zero Point in History

Introduction

Göbeklitepe can be described as an archaeological site consisting of a series of megalithic structures dating back to the Neolithic Age, located near the village of Örencik in the Şanlıurfa province of the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey 1. These structures are recognized as the world's oldest known temples, drastically changing our understanding of human history 2.

Discovery Process

The story of the discovery of Göbeklitepe dates back to 1963. At that time, during a research conducted by Istanbul University and the University of Chicago, archaeologists became aware of this site 3. Initially, researchers examining the stones and other remains on the surface of this area thought that this area could be of archaeological importance. However, the true significance of this area was not fully understood at that time 3.
The return to Göbeklitepe for a comprehensive excavation dates back to 1994. During this period, Prof. Dr. Klaus Schmidt from the German Archaeological Institute initiated a detailed excavation in this region 4. Expanding their excavations, Schmidt and his team discovered a series of monoliths and circular structures. These structures showed that even in the Stone Age, humans could construct complex and regular structures 4.

The Importance of Göbeklitepe

The discovery of Göbeklitepe is the first finding that shows the existence of such a structure complex from the prehistoric period. This is considered as a turning point in human history, because this could be the place where humans first came together collectively and built such complex structures to perform religious rituals 5. This situation could indicate that the transition to agriculture and sedentary life in human history may have started earlier than previously thought 6.
Our information about this period usually focuses on the transition process of hunter-gatherer communities to settled agricultural societies. However, the discovery of Göbeklitepe provides evidence that this transformation could have been much more complex and perhaps started much earlier 6.

Conclusion

Göbeklitepe holds an important place in human history and the discovery of this unique site is a significant turning point in archaeology. Göbeklitepe can be seen as a 'time capsule' because the research conducted in this area provides significant information about the origins of humanity and social and religious life in early periods 6.
The discovery of Göbeklitepe and the research conducted in this area have fundamentally changed our understanding of human history and will likely continue to do so in the future. Further research in this area will expand our knowledge of this important period in history and perhaps deepen our understanding of other significant turning points in human history.

Footnotes

1. Klaus Schmidt, "Göbekli Tepe: A Stone Age Sanctuary in South-Eastern Anatolia" (2012) ↩
2. Lee Clare, "Göbeklitepe: Stone Age Sanctuaries in Anatolia" (2013) ↩
3. Andrew Collins, "Göbekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods" (2014) ↩ ↩2
4. Klaus Schmid, "Göbeklitepe: The World's Oldest Temple" (2015) ↩ ↩2
5. Lee Clare, "The Sanctuary of Göbeklitepe" (2016) ↩
6. Andrew Collins, "The Genesis of Göbekli Tepe" (2017) ↩ ↩2 ↩3