Conny Waters –<\/strong> AncientPages.com\u00a0– <\/strong>During this year\u2019s excavations at Karahantepe, one of the leading Neolithic settlements under the Ta\u015f Tepeler Project, three T-shaped pillars were identified within a residential structure. The project is associated with a group of Neolithic archaeological sites in Upper Mesopotamia, all located in the vicinity of the city of Urfa in modern-day Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n Archaeological excavations at Karahantepe, one of the key Neolithic settlements in the southeastern province of \u015eanl\u0131urfa, Turkiye. Image source\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n They are the remains of several settlements dating to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period. One od such important places is <\/span>Karahantepe, situated 60 kilometers east of Sanliurfa, itself is steeped in a rich past that stretches back 12,000 years and is thought to be the ancient city of Ur Kasdim, or the City of the Chaldeans.<\/p>\n It was during surface surveys in 2017 that Karahantepe first came to the attention of researchers.\u00a0 Today, the archaeological works continue over an area of 6,000 square meters.<\/p>\n The discovery of T-shaped pillars from the Neolithic period, dating between 10,000 and 6,000 B.C., significantly enhances our understanding of early human civilization. So far, nearly 250 of these pillars have been uncovered. Each pillar serves as a silent testament to an ancient era that continues to hold meaning in contemporary studies of human history.<\/p>\n The region of \u015eanl\u0131urfa is considered sacred by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. According to the Old Testament, the Prophet Abraham, the “father of the three monotheistic religions,” was born in the city of Ur Ka\u015bdim and migrated with his family to Harran, the “House of the Patriarchs.”\u00a0 \u015eanl\u0131urfa\u00a0 was\u00a0 one of the cities of the Hurrian Empire in the 2nd millennium BC , and <\/span>represents a rich heritage of many ancient civilizations dating back millennia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar featuring a human face discovered at Karahantepe in southeastern T\u00fcrkiye, Oct. 6, 2025.\u00a0 Image credit: Ministry of Culture and Tourism<\/em><\/p>\n Some believe that Abraham was born in a cave near the site of the Mevlid-i Halil Mosque. Therefore, the area and the cave are considered sacred. Additionally, we have to remember that <\/span>also\u00a0 other famous Neolithic sites, such as G\u00f6beklitepe and Nevali \u00c7ori, are located in the same area in such close proximity.\u00a0 <\/span>Recent archaeological studies led by Professor Dr. Necmi Karul, suggest that Karahantepe may be even earlier than G\u00f6beklitepe. This makes it the world’s oldest known Neolithic site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The recent discovery of a human face depiction on one of the T-shaped pillars at the Karahantepe excavation site in Sanliurfa strongly supports the theory that these stones may indeed represent human figures.<\/p>\n On the side surface of one of the stones, the team found a human face with eye sockets, a nose and distinct facial features. This discovery even more supports the view that the horizontal part of the T-shaped stones represents the \u201chead.\u201d<\/p>\n Karahantepe Project Archive, Bekir K\u00f6\u015fker ve Yusuf Aslan. Image source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The vertical part the structure was built on the ground, with its walls, covered with clay and its floor was paved with flat stones, as informed Professor Necmi Karul, head of the Karahantepe excavations.<\/p>\n There are also carefully arranged areas within the space. In these areas, there are cylindrical stone slabs on the floor, niches, and stone vessels placed in the walls. The floors of the buildings are covered with terrazzo or large stone slabs that are overlapped.<\/p>\n Karul pointed out that the pillars placed inside the dwelling were smaller than those in public areas, saying, This shows that “they had a load-bearing function for the roof but also had their own symbolic meaning within the houses. It reveals that their surfaces were decorated.\u201d<\/p>\n He emphasized that each new artifact unearthed in the region is highly significant for the course of the long history of the region. Undoubtedly, the human face depiction is significant part of the discovery.<\/p>\n![\"12,000-Year-Old](\"https:\/\/www.ancientpages.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/karahantepeturkiyeoct13.jpg\")
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