Turkey 2016–Part 30– Gobeckli Tepe III

Turkey 2016–Part 30– Gobeckli Tepe III July 24, 2016

In some ways, it is as instructive to examine some of the newest dig sites, for example this one where you see a head of a monolithic column standing up, as is true at one of the squares on this site, both on the back side of the hill….go41go42go43 go45 Some of these columns are highly decorated, some less so…. most have creatures on them and a few have humans or deities….go44 There is rather clear evidence this was a sacrificial site, for example note the holes in this column used to tether a large animal within the circle or square. go46go47 There are everything from scorpions to water buffalo to water fowl to snakes to foxes to wart hogs, to camels to vultures, to you name it, on these columns….go48 Some scholars have theorized due to the dimples on the top of some of these columns that there would be a cross piece on top of two columns for excarnation— the leaving of the carcass of the animal high up so the vultures could get at it easily….go49 These two columns are especially important because they show either a human or a divine arm…..go50JokY5NPGZNGsJMFV3jg5LGDcNbp4FtikiWNxiexwCWs,ilvmX13GMpKvzvF9QRH3I_roqSITq11kEVmKrBMboL0

Some of the columns are in fact embedded into the enclosing walls…..go52 Some are clearly not…go53go54 Of interest is that there are small animal carvings on the sides of some of these columns go55

Things begin to become much more clear once one visits the exhibits at the Urfa museum which has several rooms full of the finds at Gobeckli Tepe, and also recreated stone circles…


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