New findings at Göbekli Tepe, the site that challenges our knowledge of history

They poetically call it "navel hill." Göbekli Tepe is one of the most remote and mysterious places on Earth, located at the highest point of a mountain range in southeastern Turkey . It has long been theorized what it could be, as its mystery holds something ancient and profound, which leaves tourists amazed when they see it. However, it is nothing more than a set of limestone stones that, inert in time, defy everything we thought we knew.

Because Göbekli Tepe was built between 9,600 and 8,200 BC , abandoned for no clear reason, and buried at some point in ancient history, which also doesn't help us understand its significance. It was used at the dawn of the Neolithic, at a time when there were presumably not enough means or knowledge to build it, when the wheel had not yet been invented or horses domesticated. It was seven millennia before the pyramids at Giza were built, and 6,000 before Stonehenge .

So far, only about 10% of the Göbekli Tepe site has been excavated , and it could apparently take around 150 years to fully excavate the entire site. The Jerusalem Post reports that archaeologists have noted that another 15 enclosures are still buried underground, one of which may be up to 15,000 years old. As excavations continue, more light may be shed on the site.

The most widely held idea is that it is an ancient sanctuary . Although they are nothing more than a handful of stones, their pillars are T-shaped and could represent human figures (or gods) looking out over a common area , as if performing a ritual or ceremony. The surfaces have bas-reliefs depicting all kinds of animals (scorpions, lions, boars), but they are not shown being hunted by humans; rather, they seem to be symbolically protecting the human figures. Furthermore, the construction was done in circles of incredible geometric complexity.

It could take around 150 years to fully excavate the entire site.

Before its discovery, prehistorians believed that the Neolithic revolution came with the advent of agriculture , but to this day, they are not clear whether it was agriculture that caused people to settle or rather the other way around.

Excavations have also uncovered small flint millstones and sickles, again indicating that the builders may have practiced agriculture. Plant and animal remains have also been found that reflect the diet of the period, suggesting a tradition that continued over several millennia. This could mean that humans began settling in permanent locations and building cities 1,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Furthermore, other recent excavations at nearby sites, such as Karahantepe, have unearthed similar monumental structures, including the largest known human statue from the period, standing 2.45 meters tall and an example of prehistoric art. The statue is an anthropomorphic sculpture with a lifelike facial expression, firmly attached to the ground on a bench. Many questions remain, and there are few answers , but these small discoveries may shed light on many of the doubts about where we come from.