Discovery that could shed light on human history: Karahantepe

Göbeklitepe, which is located within the borders of Şanlıurfa, is a very important archaeological site for human history, where human structures have existed for thousands of years. Göbeklitepe, which is believed to have appeared about 12 thousand years ago, has also pioneered many discoveries about human history through excavations that have been going on for many years. However, the mysteries of this unusual region have not yet been fully clarified. However, the archaeologist’s eyes are turned to a new archaeological site where excavations have just begun: Karahantepe!

Just like Göbeklitepe, the Karahantepe excavation site, located within the borders of Şanlıurfa province, is believed to contain many important details that can contribute to our understanding of human history. It is mentioned that Karahantepe, which has survived thousands of years, was built even before Göbeklitepe, so it is the oldest Neolithic site in the world. In short, the archaeological site of Karahantepe could completely change everything we know about human history! However, it seems that it will take some time to uncover the secrets of this important region. Here’s what you need to know about Karahantepe, the most important discovery in recent years that could change human history…

The Karahantepe archaeological site, located within the borders of Şanlıurfa Province, was discovered in 1997.

The district is located in the Haliliyah district, about 60 kilometers east of Şanlıurfa. In addition, Göbeklitepe, one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history, is located within the borders of this region.

Excavations began in Karahantepe in 2019

Excavations began in the area within the scope of the “Stone Hills” project, which was implemented at 11 different points in the Al-Hulaila area. The area, which received the status of an “archaeological site” in 2022, has created great excitement in the archaeological world. On the other hand, the fact that the region is located in the same geography as Göbeklitepe may reveal an opportunity to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the life of human societies thousands of years ago.

In other words, the reason for the excitement created by Karahantepe in the field of archeology is not only the artifacts, structures or material items in the region. The area can also provide us with important insights into the daily lives, cultures, and thought systems of ancient human societies.

The Göbeklitepe excavations, which began in the 1990s, have had a wide impact around the world.

Because Göbeklitepe was not only an area where the oldest traces of human history appeared. Göbeklitepe revealed that people who lived thousands of years ago had more advanced technology, higher architectural level, and more complex cultural structure than we expected.

Here, new settlements that have been discovered in the geography where Göbeklitepe is located, especially Karahantepe, are proof that the people who lived in Göbeklitepe thousands of years ago were not alone! For this reason, scientists who continue excavations in Karahantepe believe that the region will attract great interest all over the world, just like Göbeklitepe. However, Karahnatepe has already been visited by many people. In the coming period, it is believed that the region will become more important and popular with the increase in discoveries in the region.

The excavations at Karahantepe were led by Prof. Dr. Necmi Karol states that Gobekli Tepe and Karahantepe have been contemporaries for at least a thousand years.

However, according to Karul, Karahantepe is a region that can answer how the social system was built thousands of years ago and how people lived in prehistoric times. In addition, the stages of cultural, technical and technological development of prehistoric people can also be revealed thanks to Karahantepe.

Why is Karahantepe important, and how is it different from Göbeklitepe?

Göbeklitepe is an area that contains very important information about the lives of prehistoric people. The huge stones and structures, various inscriptions, and many other important relics discovered here have greatly shaped our thinking about the history of mankind. However, although it has some similar elements and structures, there are some things in Karahantepe that Göbeklitepe does not!

Göbeklitepe is a special purpose built area, with the predominant public aspect. However, it is possible to see traces of daily life in Karahantepe.

In other words, the structures in Göbeklitepe and the region in general were built and used for a specific purpose. On the other hand, Karahantepe is a special region where buildings built for general purposes are intertwined with houses and structures bearing traces of daily life. This is one of the most important aspects that separates Karahantepe from Göbeklitepe.

The houses discovered in Karahantepe are structurally different from each other in an unprecedented way.

The differences in these structures bring to mind the possibility that human society in the region may have lived different lives than its contemporaries, in both public and private life. In other words, if the veil of mystery over the structures or lifestyle of Karahantepe is lifted, what we know about human history could change drastically.

The mysteries of Karahantepe have yet to be clarified, but scholars believe that uninstitutionalized but very strict rituals may have been performed in the region.

However, A.J. Dr. Najmi Carroll believes that these rituals are not part of religious belief as we know it. On the other hand, according to Carroll, in order to understand the function of the structures in the area, it is necessary to understand what these rituals are. Apart from this, there are other fascinating elements among the structural features of the area…

In the center of the Karahantepe building complex, there is a building with a diameter of 23 meters.

On the walls of the building, there are evenly spaced obelisks with animal figures such as foxes and tigers on them. In addition, there are elevations in the building that are believed to have been built for people to sit on. This structure of the building in the center reinforces the idea that the structure may have been built for some ritual which we do not know how it was carried out yet. In short, Karahantepe, which is of great importance in terms of shedding light on the mysteries of human history, is home to dozens of unknowns waiting to be solved…