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Gobekli Tepe: Spirituality and the Origins of Civilization

Works of art have provided us with profound insight into

our relationship with the sacred and unknown. From the Ice Age

to the rise of Charlemagne, numerous civilizations have used

aesthetic representation to reveal the fundamental desire for

metaphysical and spiritual truth (Kleiner, Gardner’s Art

History, 2011). Until recently, historians and archaeologists

assumed that changes in the global climate and the discovery of

irrigation lead to the development of organized society.

However, in 1994, Dr. Klaus Schmidt, a researcher at the German

Archaeological Institute, learned that a Kurdish farmer

discovered an ancient temple in Southeastern Turkey, three

hundred miles away from the settlement of Catal Höyük. The

revelation of this

View of Gobekli Tepe, photo courtesy of F. Hole

( E. B. Banning Current Anthropology , Vol. 52, No. 5 (October 2011),pp. 619-660)

ancient religious community known as Gobekli Tepe would

revolutionize the way historians understood the anthropological

foundations of civilization. According to Dr. Schmidt, Gobekli

Tepe is a significant work of architecture which demonstrates

that worship, altruism, and religious theology served as an

uniting force for early settlements, rather than agricultural or

economic necessity (Columbia Oxford

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Encyclopedia) Dr. Schmidt argues, “The level of importance here

is that of the Pyramids in Giza or Stonehenge. This is the first

monumental work in the history of mankind.” This paper will

demonstrate the significance of Gobekli Tepe to art history and

how the pursuit of spiritual knowledge is crucial to

understanding the nature of the human condition.

Gobekli Tepe is the world’s oldest temple and was created

over 11,500 years ago during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Era (PPN)

(Banning, Current Anthropology, 2011). Before the Pre-Pottery

Neolithic Era, society consisted of small, nomadic tribes of

hunter-gathers that traveled extensively for resources and food.

Over the course of the Neolithic Revolution, hunter-gathers

began to domesticate animals, engaged in farming, and developed

language. Slowly, these mobile tribes became sedentary and began

to build and construct expansive settlements, such as Jericho

and Catal Höyük in ancient Mesopotamia (Kleiner, Gardener’s Art

History, 2013). It was also an age which marked by the

advancement of technology, which can be seen in the development

of more complex devices for hunting and stone tools. This era in

human history will ultimately serve as the foundation for modern

civilization.

Gobekli Tepe is an incredible work of architecture that

has altered the way historians perceive the social context of

this Pre-Pottery Neolithic Era. In the past, archaeologists and

sociologists observed ancient artifacts and determined that

religious hierarchies and political divisions came about in

order to manage the emergence of new agricultural practices and

farming. However, Gobekli Tepe brings about new and

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contradicting evidence on this era has compelled the academic

world to question this commonly accepted viewpoint.

Upon further examination, Gobekli Tepe possesses no

substantial evidence to show that plants and animals were

domesticated at this location. (Dietrich, Role of Cult and

Feasting, 2012). Radiocarbon dating shows that agriculture in

this area wouldn’t be fully developed until five centuries after

the construction of Gobekli Tepe. Even with a lack of

habituation, Dr. Klaus Schmidt still observed that these early

humans were able to implement sophisticated architectural and

artistic techniques that were unheard of at the time.

Archaeologists discovered seven-ton T-shaped monoliths, complex

animal reliefs, massive oval buildings, and limestone pillars.

(Mithen, Communal Structure, 2011). Dr. E.B Banning, an

anthropologist at the University of Toronto, also states that

the architectural style of Gobekli Tepe is very similar to the

center of a Greek amphictyony, such as those seen in Delphi or

Olympia (Banning, Current Anthropology, 2011).

Level III structures A–D at Göbekli Tepe (after Schmidt 2006; 168).

Relief Structure on pillar 43 on Structure D. Iconography of animals could possibly be emblems which represent different houses or clan. It could

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Before the discovery of Gobekli Tepe, historians believed

that these structures were too complex for early humans to

build. “There's more time between Gobekli Tepe and the Sumerian

clay tablets [etched in 3300 B.C.] than from Sumer to today,”

says Gary Rollefson, an archaeologist at Whitman College (Curry,

World’s First Temple? 2008). These advanced and elaborate works

of art and architecture were built five thousand years before

the existence of the Sumerian civilization and the invention of

writing. The early artistic achievements of Gobekli Tepe could

be said to rival those of later civilizations, including Babylon

and Ancient Greece. This discovery reformed the way art

historians perceived and understood the architectural and

aesthetic knowledge of early humans. Most importantly, Gobekli

Tepe predominates art history because it serves a testament to

how man’s search for the sacred has had a defining role in the

evolution of civilization.

It was once thought in the realm of sociology that ancient

societies built temples, governments, and other social

Level III structures A–D at Göbekli Tepe (after Schmidt 2006; 168).

Relief Structure on pillar 43 on Structure D. Iconography of animals could possibly be emblems which represent different houses or clan. It could

institutions around farming practices. However, Dr. Klaus

Schmidt believes Gobekli Tepe proves that the extensive and

cooperative construction of religious centers and monoliths laid

the foundations for the growth of complex societies. Dr. Schmidt

claims, “"This shows sociocultural changes came first,

agriculture came later," (Scham, The World’s First Temple,

2008). Dr. Schmidt defends his argument by stating that bands of

non-committed hunter-gathers could not have built a temple as

complex and astounding as Gobekli Tepe. This would have

required

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early architects to carve, bury, and design this location with

a massive amount of labor, along with housing and resources to

feed them. (Curry, World’s First Temple? 2013)

Schmidt and his supporters claim that originally, early

human came together out of a desire to worship. In order to

build religious centers and monuments, these collective groups

developed institutions and techniques to support them in their

endeavor. Evidence for their Schmidt’s can be supported through

the examination of Gobekli Tepe’s masterful and detailed

iconography.

Gobekli Tepe is decorated with depictions of frightful

creatures such as lions, spiders, snakes, scorpions, and other

monstrous animals. Some archaeologists believe that these

creatures may have served as representations of evil spirits and

the essence of primal fear. One theory suggests that these dark

depictions of animals could have been used to help hunters and

religious pilgrims master their fears and inner-weaknesses

(Scham, World’s First Temple, 2008)

Gobekli Tepe is also covered with reliefs of various

animals including gazelles, oxen, and boars. These images

illustrated key concepts in hunter-gather religions. Some

believe that these creations served as representations for

positive sprits, or depictions of virtues the community valued.

The most commonly accepted theory tells us that these images of

animals were part of spiritual rituals and ceremonies to ensure

plentiful bounties and successes with hunting.

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 Danielle Stordeur, an archaeologist at the National Center

for Scientific Research in France, has written about the

iconography and symbolism of vultures depicted at this location.

Many cultures, including the Native Americans and Mesopotamians,

have used the vulture image in their art as a symbol for

purification. It was thought that vultures would take the flesh

of the dead and carry it to the heavens. Essentially, many

ancient civilizations believed that vultures acted as liaisons

to the gods and to the afterlife. Stordeur believes that the

use of vultures in Gobekli Tepe has the same purpose in its

artistic representations. (Curry, World’s First Temple? 2013)

Each of these iconographic symbols give a glimpse into the

central tenants of early religious belief systems, and provides

proof that this location was clearly a religious shrine. It also

strengthens Schmidt’s thesis which claims that social

institutions arose from the development of this focus of

worship.

In the article, “The idea that launched a thousand civilizations”, Ara

Norenzayan, elaborates on Schmidt’s premise and uses Gobekli

Tepe to show that as cognitive-processes evolved, so did

religious beliefs and rituals. Norenzayan examined the artwork

and research of Gobekli Tepe to give support to Dr. Schmidt’s

theories. Norenzayan claims that early types of religion would

have promoted pro-social behaviors that were essential for

civilization to develop. These ideas would have included

cooperation, empathy, trust of others, selflessness. These would

have been represented through various rituals including fasting,

social taboos, and through moral creeds, which would strongly be

built upon an authentic foundation of faith. An

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individual’s faith and belief in the sacred would have compelled

the individual to unite with others who shared a similar system

of belief. Without altruism and without a belief in something

greater than themselves, Gobekli Tepe could not have existed.

(Norenzayan, 2013)

The artistic depiction of the sacred in Gobekli Tepe did

not only serve to communicate metaphysical ideas, but rather to

connect with other human beings on a more fundamental level. One

of the most significant aspects of human nature is the search

for truth. To answer questions of meaning, our existence, our

identity, and our mortality are defining questions that are

every individual must face. Gobekli Tepe shows that even at the

origins of civilization, we sought to connect and bond with

other individuals in the hope that we would address our fears,

discover the sacred, and find wisdom. Through the use of

aesthetics and archectiture, the first humans came together in a

spirit of cooperation and unity. While the greatest questions

about the nature of reality may never be answered, art can

demonstrate and communicate our interpretations and views on the

sacred. Gobekli Tepe brought strangers together thousands of

years ago. They wondered at the marvels and mysteries of our

existence. Even today, art of the spiritual and sacred can bring

us together. Gobekli Tepe will stand as a tribute to our desire

to connect, meditate, and wonder on upon our greatest questions.

Works Cited:

Curry, Andrew. "The World's First Temple?." Smithsonian 39.8

(2008): 54. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson).

Norenzayan, Ara. "The Idea That Launched A Thousand

Civilizations." New Scientist 213.2856 (2012): 42-44. Academic

Search Complete.

Banning, E. B. "So Fair A House: Göbekli Tepe And The

Identification Of Temples In The Pre-Pottery Neolithic Of

The Near East." Current Anthropology 52.5 (2011): 619-660.

SocINDEX with Full Text.

"Göbekli Tepe." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013):

1. Academic Search Complete.

Scham, Sandra. "The World's First Temple." Archaeology 61.6

(2008): 22. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson).

Kleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art History Throughout the Ages. 13th ed.

Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Dietrich, Oliver, et al. "The Role Of Cult And Feasting In

The Emergence Of Neolithic Communities. New Evidence From

Göbekli Tepe, South-Eastern Turkey." Antiquity 86.333 (2012):

674-695. Academic Search Complete.

Mithen, Steven J., et al. "An 11 600 Year-Old Communal

Structure From The Neolithic Of Southern Jordan." Antiquity

85.328 (2011): 350-364. Academic Search Complete.