New excavations at Göbeklitepe unearth rectangular structures

ŞANLIURFA

The use of public buildings and dwellings indicates that Göbeklitepe was not only a center for ritual activities but also a settlement where people lived. (AA photo)

Excavations in a new area of Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often described as the “zero point in history,” have uncovered rectangular structures dating to the site’s second phase of settlement.

Professor Necmi Karul, coordinator of the Taş Tepeler Project and head of the Göbeklitepe excavations, told state-run Anadolu Agency that excavations had begun this season in a new area north of the main excavation zone as part of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Legacy for the Future Project.

Karul explained that after moving the olive trees that once grew there, archaeologists were able to open up a 1,500-square-meter area for dig work.

He said the team aims to reassess and explore the potential of Göbeklitepe’s previously uncovered structures while continuing its approach of excavating broad areas and gradually going deeper over time.

“We started from one side of the area. As we moved north, we uncovered rectangular structures dating to Göbeklitepe’s second phase, immediately beneath the surface,” Karul said.

“The fact that they were just below the surface allowed us to quickly obtain evidence that gives us an idea about their plan and settlement layout. We even reached the floors of some structures very quickly,” he added.

Karul explained that the area is exposed to erosion and that the upper sections of the walls had been worn away over a long period.

He also said the olive trees had not caused significant damage to the structures. However, he noted that the area would probably have remained inaccessible to archaeologists had the trees not been relocated.
“Our plan this year is to remove the surface layer across the entire area and expose the remains of structures immediately below it,” he said.

Karul explained that the walking path around the new excavation site was designed so visitors can get an up-close look at the ongoing work and recent discoveries.

He noted that similar rectangular structures had previously been found in an area known as GT1.

“We are talking about their counterparts. But from what we have seen so far, we can say that the tradition of the standing stones had weakened and that these structures contained fewer standing stones,” Karul said.

“Looking at the interior arrangement of the spaces, they may have been used more for residential purposes. But, of course, it is not enough to say this simply by exposing the walls,” he added.

Karul said soil samples collected from inside the structures would provide further information about their functions, particularly once the excavation reaches floor levels.

“Our first impression is that they were used as dwellings,” he said.

Karul noted that previous excavations at Göbeklitepe had revealed both public buildings and contemporary residential structures.

The simultaneous use of public buildings and dwellings indicates that Göbeklitepe was not only a center for ritual activities but also a settlement where people lived, he said. Similar settlement patterns have also been identified at other excavation sites within the Stone Hills project.

Karul added that excavations were continuing particularly in the hillside area containing round structures.

According to him, reinforcement efforts shifted from Structure C, largely completed last year, to Structure D this year, with completion expected by the end of the year.