Posted on 01/21/2006 10:34:38 AM PST by blam
German paper reports world’s oldest temple is in Þanlýurfa
Saturday, January 21, 2006
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
One of Germany's leading newspapers, Die Welt, reported this week that the world's oldest temple, dating back around 12,000 years, is located on Göbekli Hill in Turkey's province of Þanlýurfa, said the Anatolia news agency.
According to an article titled “Holy Hill of the Hunters,” the temple was discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, standing around 15 meters in height and located on a hill upon which a single tree stands.
Defining the area as the “cradle of civilization,” the paper said local people considered the lone tree a “will tree” and that this tradition was not so surprising since the temple was one of the most important sacred places of ancient times.
Indicating that previously a 9,000-year-old temple in Jordan was considered to be the world's oldest, the article said, “Some parts of ancient history should be rewritten after this discovery.”
It also made reference to stone figures and columns discovered at the excavation site, suggesting that hundreds of people had worked to transport and erect the columns. The grassy knolls around the site suggest that the locals hunted and farmed in olden times.
The shape and style of the temple also revealed that talented craftsmen had worked on its design and construction, said the article.
GGG Ping.
Fascinating..... but age alone does not make anything the "cradle of civilization" - it all depends upon whether there is transmission of cultural and technical knowledge that led to later, greater civilizations. There may be lots of twigs, branches, and dead ends in human history and pre-history which have no connections to the truly great civilizations which developed in other places......
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According to an article titled “Holy Hill of the Hunters,” the temple was discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, standing around 15 meters in height and located on a hill upon which a single tree stands.
So Klaus Schmidt is 15 meters tall?
Wouldn't this be better?
According to an article titled “Holy Hill of the Hunters,” the temple,standing around 15 meters in height and located on a hill upon which a single tree stands, was discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt .
bump
GGG ping.
Well. Maybe a little better...I'm not gonna ping anyone to see it, lol.
So what'd they find behind the grassy knolls?--maybe we can finally resolve this JFK thing :-)
I just love how some archaeoligist finds some old site, and in the media in instantly becomes the oldest, biggest, most important, most sacred, etc., etc.
Researchers and newspapers will now say anything for money, I guess.
I'd like to hear some real information about this site, though. Sounds interesting, perhaps related to the people in the Black Sea basin?
The grassy knolls around the site suggest that the locals hunted and farmed in olden times.#1, I think Fedora is on to something. ;')
some Anatolia topics, most relevant first:
Layers of clustered apartments hide artifacts of ancient urban life
San Francisco Chronicle | Monday, April 18, 2005 | David Perlman
Posted on 04/20/2005 9:26:57 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1387451/posts
from my links page:
A Talk With Colin Renfrew
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1556499/posts
Franchthi Excavations: 17,000 Years of Greek Prehistory
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1197188/posts
In Search of the Real Troy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1347422/posts
King Midas' Modern Mourners
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1290040/posts
Kommagene, The Forgotten Kingdom
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1445085/posts
Lycia Where Greek language has left its mark
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1549447/posts
Lycian Influence To The Indian Cave Temples
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1440990/posts
Unlocking the Power of Myth
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1462060/posts
Was There a Trojan War?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1181498/posts
City in the Clouds -- Sagalassos, ancient city in Turkey
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1183007/posts
Argonaut Epos and Bronze Age Economic History
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1199756/posts
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, Int'l Trade and the Late Bronze Age Aegean
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1201978/posts
I'm not sure 15 meters is accurate, but he does wear a size 500 shoe.
What's the chance that it still has a mortgage and a Building Fund Committee?
So they actually found the whole of Dealey Plaza, not just the grassy knoll. . .
Seriesly, that sounds plausible. Undoubtedly this publicity will encourage more excavation at the site, so hopefully if there's more to be found it'll turn up soon enough.
I'm curious about what's involved in the "will tree" tradition mentioned. Of course this tradition probably stems from generations much, much later than the original site, but if the tradition at least reflects an accurate interpretation of the function of the structure, it makes me wonder if that implies a burial site in the area.
Thanks. I'm glad to know it survived Noah's flood.
[rimshot]
It also made reference to stone figures and columns discovered at the excavation site, suggesting that hundreds of people had worked to transport and erect the columns. The grassy knolls around the site suggest that the locals hunted and farmed in olden times.The shape and style of the temple also revealed that talented craftsmen had worked on its design and construction, said the article.
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