Göbeklitepe-Style Pillars Found at New 11,000-Year-Old Site

Greek Reporter ^ | January 28, 2026 | Nisha Zahid

[nickcarraway]

Archaeologists working in southeastern Turkey have uncovered new evidence that expands the known reach of one of the world’s earliest monumental cultures. The find is reshaping how researchers understand the Neolithic transition in Upper Mesopotamia. Stone structures featuring Göbeklitepe-style T-pillars have been identified in the Samsat district of Adıyaman. The remains surfaced after falling water levels in the Atatürk Dam reservoir exposed land that had remained underwater for decades.

Discovery triggered by retreating waters The site lies near Kızılöz village, where receding waters revealed stone features along the shoreline. After a report from residents, teams from the Adıyaman Museum Directorate conducted on-site inspections. Archaeologists quickly recognized the significance of the remains.

Based on surface context and architectural form, researchers believe the structures date to about 11,000 years ago. This places them in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, a time marked by early settlement, experimentation with farming, and the rise of communal ritual spaces.

Pillars echo Göbeklitepe’s design

The newly identified stones are carved in a clear “T” shape and appear to have been deliberately placed within stone-built settings. Their form closely resembles the pillars found at Göbeklitepe, one of the most famous early ritual centers in the world.

Although no carved animal reliefs or human features have yet been documented at the Adıyaman site, archaeologists say the size, shape, and placement of the pillars point to shared architectural ideas and symbolic traditions.

Grecian Delight supports Greece Evidence of shared ritual architecture

According to Prof. Dr. Sabahattin Ezer of Adıyaman University, the remains display key traits seen at Göbeklitepe and other Taş Tepeler sites around Şanlıurfa.

These features include small-scale enclosures, stone slabs arranged around shallow pits, and centrally placed T-shaped pillars. Archaeologists consider this layout a hallmark of early ritual architecture. The repeated pattern across sites suggests a shared building tradition and belief system across the region.

Extending the Taş Tepeler horizon

In recent years, the Taş Tepeler Project has documented several major Neolithic sites, including Karahantepe, Sayburç, Sefertepe, Kurttepesi, and Çakmaktepe. Until now, most were concentrated near Şanlıurfa.

The Adıyaman discovery pushes this cultural horizon northwest into the Euphrates basin. Researchers say this broader distribution supports the idea of a dense and interconnected prehistoric landscape rather than isolated ceremonial centers.

The Euphrates as a corridor of contact The site’s position near the Euphrates River adds to its importance. During the Neolithic period, the river served as a major route for movement, communication, and resource exchange. Archaeologists say this setting strengthens arguments that Taş Tepeler sites formed a network of ritual centers linked through travel and shared practices.

At Göbeklitepe, T-shaped pillars are widely interpreted as stylized human figures, often carved with arms, hands, belts, and animals. The Adıyaman examples are smaller, but their central placement follows the same symbolic logic. Researchers believe they served similar communal or ceremonial roles.

Preservation at risk as excavations begin

Mustafa Çelik, deputy director of the Adıyaman Museum Directorate, said the site was originally buried beneath 2 to 3 meters (6.6 to 9.8 feet) of soil. Over time, fluctuating water levels eroded the sediment, exposing the structures. While this enabled the discovery, it also placed the remains at risk.

Rescue excavations are now underway to document and protect the site before water levels rise again. Archaeologists say such dam-related finds highlight the vulnerability of submerged heritage and the need for systematic surveys in reservoir zones.

A growing picture of early cooperation

Artifacts recovered from the site are now displayed at Perre Ancient City, allowing the public to engage with one of humanity’s earliest monument-building traditions. Further excavations are planned, and researchers believe Adıyaman may reveal additional structures beneath the surface.

Each discovery adds weight to a conclusion reshaping prehistoric studies: complex symbolic behavior and monumental architecture were not isolated breakthroughs, but regional achievements rooted in cooperation across Upper Mesopotamia.

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TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: adiyaman; anliurfa; archaeology; architecture; cakmaktepe; euphrates; gbeklitepe; gobeklitepe; godsgravesglyphs; greece; greekreporter; holoceneepoch; joerogan; karahantepe; kizilozvillage; kurttepesi; mesopotamia; neolithic; nishazahid; sabahattinezer; samsatdistrict; sanliurfa; sayburc; sefertepe; tatepeler; turkey; turkeyarchaeology

[nickcarraway]

[Magnum44]

[SunkenCiv]

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Şanlıurfa is yesterday’s news!

[SunkenCiv]

The rest of the Göbeklitepe keyword, sorted:

• Major Discoveries at Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Sefer Tepe & Sayburç | Taş Tepeler | Megalithomania [17:09] [11/30/2025]
• Archaeologists Have Unearthed an Ancient Site in Turkey That May Predate the Famous Temple Site of Göbekli Tepe [09/24/2025]
• New Site Discovered in Turkey Could Be Older Than Göbeklitepe [09/02/2025]
• An ancient archaeological site meets conspiracy theories -- and Joe Rogan [08/09/2025]
• On the Origin of the Pork Taboo [06/09/2025]
• Excavations at Göbekli Tepe continue to yield findings [02/27/2025]
• Gobekli Tepe conspiracy theories: Rupert Soskin pushes back. [23:54] [08/25/2024]
• "World's Oldest Calendar" May Depict Catastrophic Comet Impact 13,000 Years Ago [08/07/2024]
• Last Stand of the Hunter-gatherers? [2021 -- Gobekli Tepe] [07/08/2024]
• Hidden History: WEF Takes Control Of Gobekli Tepe Site And Shuts Down Research [06/20/2024]
• 11,000-Year-Old Boar Statue Uncovered at Gobekli Tepe [10/25/2023]
• ... what about BONCUKLU TARLA? [06/02/2023]
• Secrets of the Stone Age [YT vid in two parts] [07/28/2022]
• Why is the The Mesopotamian Civilization considered the oldest civilization? [02/19/2022]
• Human History Gets a Rewrite [10/24/2021]
• Stunning carvings of human figures and heads are uncovered at Karahantepe - one of the important settlements of the Neolithic period - revealing the artistic skills of people who lived in Turkey 11,000 years ago [10/04/2021]
• Stone Age Rock Tombs Found Near Göbekli Tepe Provide More Ancient Clues [09/11/2020]
• A temple that predates Stonehenge reveals architectural planning may be older than we think [05/16/2020]
• "Baghdad Battery" : Possible Beer Purification? [04/19/2019]
• Prehistory Decoded at Gobekli Tepe [04/16/2019]
• The Gobekli Tepe Ruins and the Origins of Neolithic Religion [08/14/2018]
• Looking beneath the surface: Geophysical surveys at Gobekli Tepe [07/23/2018]
• Concrete Poured on World's Oldest Temple Gobeklitepe [03/20/2018]
• Australian Aboriginal symbols found on mysterious 12,000-year-old pillar in Turkey... [11/16/2017]
• Hints of Skull Cult Found at World's Oldest Temple [06/28/2017]
• Archaeologists uncover monumental prehistoric structure on island of Menorca [04/02/2016]
• Have the secrets of a lost civilisation finally been unearthed? [10/28/2015]
• Has Turkey found world's oldest temple? [08/10/2015]
• Signs of world's first pictograph found in Gobeklitepe [07/25/2015]
• Göbekli Tepe Excavator Klaus Schmidt Passes Away [07/24/2014]
• Gobekli Tepe Report [03/05/2014]
• World's oldest temple built to worship the dog star [08/17/2013]
• Gobekli Tepe Constellations [08/04/2013]
• Göbekli Tepe, Turkey: a new wonder of the ancient world (9,000 B.C. Neolithic site) [04/23/2013]
• Humans have been drinking beer for 11,500 years [01/01/2013]
• While digging a highway, Israeli archeologists find two figurines from the New Stone Age [08/31/2012]
• 10 Civilizations That Disappeared Under Mysterious Circumstances [07/24/2012]
• 'World's Oldest Temple' May Have Been Cosmopolitan Center [03/17/2012]
• Rewriting the dawn of civilization ( Was Göbekli Tepe the cradle of civilization? ) [01/03/2012]
• Archaeologist argues world's oldest temples were not temples at all [10/07/2011]
• Göbekli Tepe - The Birth of Religion [05/23/2011]
• 12,000 Years Old Unexplained Structure [Gobekli Tepe] [04/18/2011]
• History in the Remaking [02/23/2010]
• Do These Mysterious Stones Mark The Site Of The Garden Of Eden? [02/27/2009]
• Stone Age Temple May Be Birthplace of Civilization [11/14/2008]
• Gobekli Tepe: The World's First Temple? ( massive carved stones about 11,000 years old ) [11/11/2008]
• Mysterious Neolithic People Made Optical Art [09/25/2008]
• Turkish Site A Neolithic 'Supernova' [04/21/2008]
• A Journey To 9,000 Years Ago (Çatalhöyük) [01/17/2008]
• Is this the world's oldest statue? [Anatolia, Gobekli Tepe] [11/26/2007]
• Did we plough up the Garden of Eden? [10/17/2006]
• Þanlýurfa To Shed More Light On History Of Civilization [06/24/2006]
• German Paper Reports World's Oldest Temple Is In Sanliurfa (Turkey- 10,000BC) [01/21/2006]
• Layers of clustered apartments hide artifacts of ancient urban life [04/20/2005]
• Italian Archaeologist: Anatolia - Home To First Civilization On Earth [06/22/2003]

[pepsi_junkie]

Countdown to Turkey locking down the site and desecrates it with with construction of invasive pavilions and groves of trees the block any chance of excavation in 3.... 2.... 1...

[oldplayer]

Thanks for the photos, Nick. These columns are impressive. Neolithic peoples were smart.

[ZOOKER]

I see the onramp and a cloverleaf.
Did they dig up any flintstone-style cars yet?

[Paal Gulli]

Will the designers of Göbeklitepe sue for theft of intellectual property?

[BipolarBob]

I wouldn’t call an 11,000 year old site “new”.

[bunkerhill7]

You can see carvings on the pillars.

[lefty-lie-spy]

Just like “New post-war Old Dutch Cleanser”.
What’s old is new.

[SunkenCiv]

Wouldn’t that make it sans liurfa?

[griffin]

Yeah, i heard back a couole millenia ago, Stone Depot used to put those t-stones on sale. Ya got better pricing if you went in on them with your neighbors.

[chud]

Göbeklitepe, Adıyaman, and all of the other 11,000+ year old sites in Turkey keep upsetting mainstream archaeology's narrative that people back then were just "simple hunter-gatherers".