12,000-year-old Human Face Pillar Unearthed at Karahantepe, Turkey

Karahantepe archaeological site, Turkey. Credit: Mahmut Bozarslan / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Archaeologists successful southeastern Turkey person uncovered a 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar carved with a human face, marking a important find astatine the Neolithic tract of Karahantepe. The recently revealed structure, combining some quality features and monumental scale, offers caller penetration into the symbolic and creator expressions of aboriginal societies.

The quality look pillar, recovered arsenic portion of the ongoing Taş Tepeler Project led by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, features deep-set oculus sockets, a wide nose, and sharply defined facial lines.

Researchers accidental this is the archetypal clip a quality look has been straight sculpted onto 1 of the region’s diagnostic T-shaped monoliths—structures agelong believed to correspond quality forms done abstract carvings similar arms and hands.

6 Ekim 2025 Şanlıurfa Türkiye 🇹🇷
Karahantepe | Göbeklitepe

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Karahantepe'de insan yüzü tasvir edilen T biçimli dikilitaş bulundu. pic.twitter.com/NZITgBZCvX

— Hermes (@hermesisos) October 6, 2025

Nihat Erdoğan, 1 of the pb archaeologists connected the project, explained that the carved look moves beyond symbolic imagery and represents a leap toward figurative expression.

He said this find whitethorn bespeak a displacement successful however aboriginal humans saw themselves and their spot successful the world, marking an important signifier successful the improvement of individuality and self-awareness.

Karahantepe’s relation successful the Neolithic landscape

Located astir 35 kilometers (22 miles) eastbound of the better-known tract of Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe is portion of a radical of 12 aboriginal Neolithic sites collectively known arsenic Taş Tepeler, oregon “Stone Hills.” These sites incorporate the earliest known monumental architecture built by hunter-gatherers earlier the emergence of agriculture.

Excavations astatine Karahantepe person truthful acold revealed implicit 250 T-shaped pillars, communal enclosures, and elaborate carvings of some humans and animals. Researchers accidental the site’s architectural layout appears much precocious than that of Göbeklitepe, with signs of aboriginal societal enactment and semipermanent settlement.

Nevzat Çevik, different archaeologist progressive successful the project, noted that the craftsmanship and plan recovered astatine Karahantepe amusement a precocious level of method accomplishment arsenic good arsenic a heavy spiritual knowing of the environment.

He emphasized that the quality look pillar reinforces the thought that these communities were not lone builders but besides thinkers and artists.

Redefining the origins of quality expression

The Taş Tepeler Project is 1 of the astir extended archaeological efforts presently underway, aimed astatine redefining what is known astir the Neolithic Revolution—the modulation from nomadic beingness to imperishable settlements.

The latest find astatine Karahantepe offers tangible grounds of however early humans began to correspond themselves done art, ritual, and architecture.

As excavations continue, Karahantepe is gaining attraction arsenic a imaginable centerpiece of Neolithic probe successful Turkey, with immoderate experts suggesting it could yet rival oregon adjacent surpass Göbeklitepe successful humanities significance.