Karahantepe; History is about to be rewritten

KARAHANTEPE History is about to be changed. At recent times, we may forget what we know about hunter gatherers. What if people lived 11,000 years ago were not just hunter gatherers? What if they were able to found great cities? What if they were able to make a civilization at East Anatolia and North Mesapotamia? A recent finding “Karahantepe” may answer all those questions. Adding to that, there are 11 new discoveries around Göbeklitepe which is 12,000 years old. All those ruins have nearly the same age and in the same district. Historical artifacts unearthed at the archeological site of Karahantepe in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, considered one of the important settlements of the Neolithic period, reveal the artistic talents of the people who resided there some 11,000 years ago. We can state that those people were not just hunter gatherers who were unable to found cities and unable to establish civilizations. Digging at Karahantepe started in 2019. From now on, there is a great development at the process. The archeological site received renewed global attention after it was promoted in an official ceremony attended by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. A building with a diameter of 23 meters was unearthed during the excavations and a large part of it was carved into the bedrock and it reached a depth of 5.5 meters from the surface, meaning it was built with the efforts of many engineers. An impressive topic to be focused on is the similarities between Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. They are not far from each other. They are in same province. Their age is nearly similar. According to findings, Göbeklitepe is 12,000 years old and Karahantepe is 11,000 years old. New findings may change those dates. Moreover, there are great similarities between the artifacts found in Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe. Adding to those, there are also some differences between Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe in terms of artifacts. There were many 3D sculptures and human depictions found at the Karahantepe archeological site. Many human figures can be visited at Archeological Museum of Şanlıurfa including depictions of human heads. One of the finest examples of the 3D artifacts found at Karahantepe is a human sculpture carrying a leopard on his back, adding animal embossing in an attacking position were also found at Göbeklitepe. It was possible to understand that human-animal relations about 11,000 years ago were different from those of today, and as a matter of fact, they understood that this relationship was a very peaceful one. To date, there are many human figures at the Karahantepe site compared to Göbeklitepe, but it does not necessarily mean that no such figures will ever be unearthed in the latter. Findings were clear proof that the artistic capabilities of humankind in the Neolithic period were developed to some extent. #Karahantepe #Göbeklitepe #Archaeology #Ancient #History #Anatolia #AncientAnatolia #FirstPeople #StoneHills #TaşTepeler