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based on a single type of artefact. Other archaeological carving—on a par with much of what we would see evidence suggests that some people were killed in huge thousands of years later in Sumer and Egypt. death pits, while children were buried alive in jars or So far, four circular/oval-shaped complexes have been roasted in large bronze bowls. Cayénii is therefore excavated. The walls are made of unworked dry stone civilisation, but perhaps not as we like to know it. and the floors of terrazzo. The interior of the walls Another important site is Nevali Cori, in Hilvan usually have several T-pillars set along them in a Province between Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa. Here, Harald radiating pattern, the depth of the pillar normally against Hauptmann began excavations in 1979 and was able to or near the wall so that the two main surfaces of the pillar uncover large limestone statues. In 1991, the site was could be carved and seen by whomever was inside the submerged with the construction of Lake Atatiirk Dam. It | complex. A low bench runs along the entire exterior wall shares many parallels with Gdbekli Tepe and is dated to —_ of each complex. 8400-8000 BC. All the artefacts retrieved are now in The structures are situated on the southern slope of the museums, including a life-sized egg-like head with crude hill, orientated roughly north-south with their entrances ears and a carved ponytail, found in a niche at the centre to the south. All the T-pillars were excavated from a of a northwestern wall. Interestingly, stone quarry on the lower the ponytail is actually a curling ser- southwestern slope of the hill. One pent that ends in a mushroom-like cap. pillar remains in situ in the quarry; it is Whatever being the figure is meant to seven metres long and three metres represent, German archaeologist Klaus : wide, and if fully excavated would have Schmict believes it was worshipped as If each weighed weighed around 50 tonnes, underlining a deity, cont set th sor Gbbekt "only" five tonnes, hat building with stones that weigh evali Cori set the stage for Gobekli ° ° onnes did not begin in Egypt or in Tepe shortly after its disappearance Teton mean England with Stonehenge. i under the waters, Gdbekli Tepe that tonnes Complex A, the first circular structure emerged from the sands. Many people a o be excavated, is nicknamed "the highlight the T-shaped pillars of of pillars were snake column building" because Site, However such Tshaped plas | ©XCAV@ted and oes ethe carungs onthe Tpllrs were also found in Nevali Cori. Site- decorated, and it One is of a "net" containing snakes. wise, Nevali Cori is more square . . Another pillar, however, depicts a than circular in design, although a . highlights the “triad” of bull, fox and crane, square precinct has been found at Importance of the positioned one above the other. Gébekli Tepe, too. Although there . Some pillars only feature a bull, are several parallels between the site and the effort others only a fox, and so on. two sites, Neval1 Cori's pillars are that went into Complex B measures nine metres in diameter when measured from east to west, and 10 to 15 metres north to south (part of it is still to be excavated). It is nevertheless the only complex Gébekli Tepe is small. British dug to floor level, revealing the author Andrew Collins has terrazzo floor surface. Two central compared its size to that of "three pillars have a large fox depicted ennis courts". Its principal excavators are Klaus Schmidt = on them. One central pillar, no. 9, is 3.4 m high; pillar no. and Harald Hauptmann of the German Archaeological 10 is 3.6 m high; their weight is 7.1 and 7.2 tonnes nevertheless smaller and its . . shrine is located inside a village. creating It. The Gobekli Tepe site revealed In comparison, the site of nstitute in Istanbul. All of the complexes in Gébekli respectively. The complex was clearly built to "house" Tepe that they have unearthed so far are typified by these monolithic pillars, which prove how well-versed our structures containing T-pillars. ancestors were in working with gigantic stones, not These pillars were used as “drawing boards" and many _ merely in quarrying them but in shaping and decorating depict animals, with an apparent preference for boars, _ them as well. oxes, reptiles, lions, crocodiles and birds, as well as Archaeologists believe that 200 T-pillars originally insects and spiders. Most of these were carved out of the — stood at Gdbekli Tepe. If each weighed "only" five tonnes, lat surfaces of the pillars. However, some are three- it would still mean that 1,000 tonnes of pillars were dimensional sculptures, including one find, made during excavated and decorated, and it highlights the he 2006 excavation season, of a reptilian creature importance of the site and the effort that went into descending on the side of a T-pillar, demonstrating that creating it. whoever created this had mastered the art of stone Complex C is nicknamed "the circle of the boar", as it on If each weighed "only" five tonnes, that 1,000 tonnes of pillars were decorated, and it highlights the importance of the site and the effort creating it. JUNE — JULY 2009 NEXUS ¢ 37 it would still mean excavated and that went into www.nexusmagazine.com