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The world’s first pilgrimage site

In the southeastern Anatolian region of Turkey, Göbekli Tepe is often regarded as the first pilgrimage site in history. Discovered in the early 1990s, this Neolithic archaeological marvel dates back to around 9500 BC –predating Stonehenge by several millennia. With its massive columns and (oftentimes puzzling) carvings, Göbekli Tepe offers weighty insights into prehistoric practices we might deem “religious” and challenges our understanding of early human societal development.

The modern discovery of the site began in October 1994, when German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, searching for evidence of other ancient sites, revisited a site first noted by Chicago researchers in 1963. Schmidt was led to Göbekli Tepe by Mahmut Yildiz, whose family had already stumbled upon remarkable artifacts while plowing their land. Initially thought to be grave markers, Schmidt realized that the large stone slabs were actually the tops of prehistoric megaliths. This realization led to excavations that revealed the site’s characteristic T-shaped columns, some of which reached heights of up to 15 meters.

As the excavations progressed, Schmidt discovered that these megaliths were arranged in circular enclosures, each decorated with carvings of wild animals, anthropomorphic figures, and other motifs. This iconography might hold potential religious significance, suggesting that Göbekli Tepe served as a sanctuary of sorts for groups of nomadic hunter-gatherers. These early inhabitants likely traveled from different regions to participate in communal rituals, marking the site as (seemingly) the earliest pilgrimage destination registered to date.

While the columns themselves are stunning, the architecture of the site speaks to a complex understanding of construction and community. Göbekli Tepe is densely covered with the remains of ancient domestic structures, quarries, and stone-cut cisterns, suggesting that it functioned as more than just a “religious” site. Some scholars have argued that Göbekli Tepe may have been a settlement, as evidenced by the tools and features associated with domestic life. Klaus Schmidt’s interpretation, however, tends to view it as a ceremonial center with few permanent inhabitants –and pilgrims who would spend relatively long seasons there.

Göbekli Tepe has reshaped theories of the Neolithic Revolution –the transition from a nomadic lifestyle to settled agricultural societies. Traditionally, this shift has been viewed as a linear progression from foraging to farming, but Göbekli Tepe complicates this narrative. The site features monumental architecture without clear evidence of agriculture, raising the question of whether the need for religious expression preceded the establishment of agricultural practices. Archaeological evidence suggests that the inhabitants processed grains (mainly through fermentation) but it remains unclear whether these were wild or cultivated.

Despite being the subject of extensive research, the definitive purpose of the megalithic enclosures at Göbekli Tepe remains elusive. Schmidt originally proposed that they were the “world’s first temples,” a notion that has evolved with new evidence –although it has been challenged time and again. Recent stratigraphic studies suggest that the enclosures were not intentionally filled, as previously thought, but instead were the result of natural slope slides. However, this does not diminish their significance; they remain a remarkable feat of human cooperation and shared belief systems.

As excavations continue, Göbekli Tepe keeps on revealing layers of history that help us undertsand the complexities of early human life. The site serves as a window into early pilgrimage practices, its massive columns standing as silent witnesses to the gatherings of ancient peoples who traveled there to participate in rituals that, slowly but surely, shaped their identity and culture.

Göbekli Tepe is a profound marker of humanity’s early spiritual and social endeavors. Being the first pilgrimage site in history (according to some scholars), the place is a window onto our shared past and the ways in which pilgrimage and community have always been intertwined. Through its monumental structures and iconography, Göbekli Tepe inspires awe and remind us of the kind of practices that have long defined the human experience

Why going on a pilgrimage?

 

This post is also available in: Español Italiano

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