There are so many astounding archeological sites throughout the world that humans can not help but simply reveal at. From humanmade structures to natural phenomenons, the earth is nothing if not magnificent. One of the most interesting and perplexing spaces on the planet is that of Gobekli Tepe.
Gobekli Tepe is a neolithic archaeological ruin that is located in the southern region of Turkey. While discovered in the 1960s, not much attention was paid to it until recently when archeologists started stringing pieces together and recognizing what makes this find fascinating. Regarding everything we know about human life up to this point, Gobekli Tepe should not even exist.
Whoa. Talk about having to go back and rewrite history!
11 The Site Is An Astounding 12,000 Years Old
According to what scientists and archeologists have thus far determined, Gobekli Tepe is around twelve thousand years old. This means that it was constructed during a time that was considered to be a pre-civilization period. In fact, the construction of this place overlaps with the end of the last ice age.
10 It Is Incredibly Preserved Considering Its Age
Its mere age is impressive, and the fact that something like this could be created before humans were even supposed to be walking around building stuff is even more shocking. Another remarkable fact regarding Gobekli Tepe is the sites are so well-preserved. This may be partly due to the climate where it is located and partly due to it being backfilled before it was deserted.
9 Considering The Timeframe It Was Built, The Architecture Is Astounding
Science has determined that this ancient temple was built when the ice age was ending. It predates Stonehenge as well as the era of Sumar, which is considered to be one of the earliest human civilizations. The skill in this building is unbelievable, considering civilization was not supposed to be a thing for thousands of years still.
8 The Effort Building Must Have Taken Is Unfathomable
Twelve thousand years ago, it was thought that civilization was in its initial stages at best, and here is proof of a concept that is entirely different from what we originally thought. The sheer manpower that had to have been used to construct Gobekli Tepe is unfathomable. The temples would have required hundreds, if not thousands of workers. The construction of such a thing would have also required organization and support over a long period of time.
7 In The 1960s The Site Was Thought To Be A Medieval Gravesite, Another Look Changed All Of That
Gobekli Tepe was unearthed in the 1960s, but no one truly gave it much of a look. It was originally thought to be a medieval graveyard, one with very little overall, earthly significance. In 1994, Klaus Schmidt, a German archaeologist, gave the temple another look. It's a good thing that he did!
6 Göbekli Tepe Is Thought To Be The World's Oldest Temple
After initially being considered as a gravesite, Gobekli Tepe ended up being the single oldest temple in the world. Actually, the site is an intricate series of temples that archeologists and scientists are still learning more and more about every single day. Thus far, there are twenty different temple sites. It seems with the discovery of each, comes another one.
5 The Range Of The Site Is Giant, With Twenty Independent Sites Encompassing It
What started out as the simple discovery of a possible medieval gravesite has turned out to be the true discovery of a lifetime. The temple initially thought to be no big deal is now known to be the oldest temple in history, and more continue to be revealed as time goes on. The site contains twenty intricate temples to date, all being gently restored.
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4 The Site Is The Work Of Hunters And Gatherers
This archeological treasure is thought to be the work of hunters and gatherers who lived in the area twelve thousand years ago. During that time, when the ice age was coming to a close, people were thought to only be able to survive by being semi-nomadic and following food sources. Gobekli Tepe challenges this notion because the group of people who build this system of temples were clearly living in one place for a long time.
3 Alien Lovers Are Obsessed With This Place
People who adamantly believe in alien life forms really have a thing for Gobekli Tepe. Ancient Aliens, a show on The History Channel, has pondered the construction of Gobekli Tepe several times. Because this place is so out of the box regarding what we previously knew about life and societies, some believe only extra-terrestrials could have created it.
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2 Gobekli Tepe Challenges Previous Thoughts On Agriculture and Ancient Civilization
The discovery of Gobekli Tepe has challenged much of what historians, scientists, and archeologists previously believed about prior periods and societal structures. They now know it is reasonable that larger, stable groups of people lived in one space for long periods of time at a time where this was formerly thought as not feasible.
1 Crews Are Working To Restore It Because...Well...It's Awesome!
As this site continues to become uncovered and studied by some of the brightest minds in the world, the restoration process has gone into full swing. Now that we know this is a place of incredible historical significance, the tedious, painstaking process of resurrecting it to its former glory is in full swing.
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