Monumental Neolithic Sites in Turkey

Recent decades of archaeology in southeastern Turkey have revealed more than 20 monumental Neolithic sites. They date to the Pre-Pottery era about 12,000-10,000 years ago. The artistry and building accomplishments of these sites seem at odds with the “pre-pottery,” hunter-gatherer stage of human development, but there they are. Towering structures, covered in carvings of animals and humans, and clearly reflecting communal effort well beyond subsistence living. (Photo above of Karahantepe site, public domain, wiki.)

Big Buildings Built by Hunter Gatherers

A recent article in Archaeology Magazine provides a fascinating discussion of these sites monumental Neolithic sites. The first clue of how such places came to be involves geography:

More than 11,000 years ago, during the early Neolithic period, this was a lush expanse of mighty forests teeming with wild animals including cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, gazelles, boars, leopards, and snakes and other reptiles. Its rivers and lakes were home to numerous species of fish and birds. This fertile environment drew groups of mobile hunter-gatherers who, freed from the need to move seasonally in search of food, built semipermanent and permanent dwellings on the plain and in the hills. “This part of Anatolia had a significantly richer and more productive natural environment than arid regions to the south,” says archaeologist Mehmet Özdoğan of Istanbul University. “This encouraged people to establish permanent settlements and liberated them from mere dietary concerns. Their newfound freedom allowed them to focus on endeavors beyond sustenance and shelter and on what we might define as true artistic pursuits.”

–“Discovering a New Neolithic World,” Archaeology Magazine

Life in Monumental Neolithic Sites

These sites, called Taş Tepeler (stone mounds), span about 125 miles at the base of the Taurus Mountains. The buildings go way beyond providing shelter. These monumental structures and the artwork carved into them point to a complex communal life. We do not know what purpose these big spaces served–ritual, social, political. With the first discoveries, there was a tendency to refer to them as “temples,” but that’s right up there with referring to every flat stone surface as an altar.

Purposeful Destruction

One of the strangest details of these monumental Neolithic sites is that most reveal signs of intentional burial. Whole buildings were carefully, systematically buried. Living around those buildings continued, apparently. The buried building locations were not built upon again, although close, surrounding areas were. The people must have retained memory of the “retired” buildings.

For much more about these intriguing, mysterious read the article, “Discovering a New Neolithic World.“

Further Reading

For more about some of the Taş Tepeler rock carvings and their narratives, you may read my post, “Neolithic Narratives.”