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Posted on 01/28/2026 6:48:57 AM PST by BenLurkin
Göbeklitepe-style T-shaped pillars discovered in Adıyaman reveal the wider Taş Tepeler culture and reshape the Neolithic map of Upper Mesopotamia.
A remarkable new archaeological discovery in southeastern Türkiye is reshaping our understanding of the Neolithic world. In Adıyaman’s Samsat district, structures resembling the iconic “T”-shaped pillars of Göbeklitepe have emerged after water levels receded in the Atatürk Dam reservoir. This find strongly suggests that the cultural sphere known as Göbeklitepe or Taş Tepeler culture extended much farther than previously documented.
The discovery was made near Kızılöz village, where falling water levels exposed stone features along the shoreline. Following a local report, teams from the Adıyaman Museum Directorate conducted on-site investigations and identified T-shaped stone structures believed to date back approximately 11,000 years, to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period.
A New Node in the Göbeklitepe Cultural Network According to Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Ezer from Adıyaman University’s Department of Archaeology, the newly uncovered stones display architectural and symbolic traits consistent with Göbeklitepe and other Taş Tepeler sites in Şanlıurfa. These include small-scale enclosures, stone slabs arranged around pits, and centrally placed T-shaped pillars, which are considered hallmarks of this early ritual architecture.
The Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) project, launched in recent years, has already identified multiple Neolithic sites such as Karahantepe, Sayburç, Sefertepe, Kurttepesi, and Çakmaktepe. The Adıyaman discovery now indicates that this cultural horizon was not confined to Şanlıurfa but extended northwest into the Euphrates basin, strengthening the idea of a widespread and interconnected prehistoric landscape.
Meaning of the T-Shaped Stones The T-shaped pillars are among the most enigmatic features of early human history. At Göbeklitepe, these massive monoliths are widely interpreted as stylized human figures, often featuring carved arms, hands, belts, and symbolic animals. While the Adıyaman examples are smaller in scale, their form and placement suggest they served similar ritual or communal functions.
The presence of these pillars in Adıyaman implies shared belief systems, architectural knowledge, and social organization across a broad region. This challenges older models that viewed Göbeklitepe as an isolated “exception” and instead supports the idea of a regional tradition of monument building before agriculture became widespread.
Regional Expansion and the Upper Mesopotamian Context The Samsat discovery is especially significant because of its location near the Euphrates River, a major corridor for human movement, communication, and resource exchange during the Neolithic period. This geographic setting strengthens arguments that Taş Tepeler sites formed a network of ritual centers, rather than a single focal point.
Archaeologists increasingly believe that communities across Upper Mesopotamia participated in shared ceremonial practices, periodically gathering at monumental sites. The Adıyaman structures may represent a local expression of this broader tradition, adapted to regional conditions while maintaining core symbolic elements.
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Fascinating. I have to wonder what the motivation for such structures was. Who suggested they make such ritualistic places, and why?
No photos of these important structures?
Imagine excavating an entire archaeological site using little paint brushes......
That would be silly...
Your imagination is the most powerful canvas.
[No photos of these important structures?]
They looked something like this-
T
Thanks BenLurkin, and whoops, all, should have pinged this one first.
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