This rare find at Göbekli Tepe remains mysterious for now, though experts believe it was left there as a votive offering and might thus shed unprecedented light on religious rituals of its era.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismThe human statue that was recently found embedded in a stone wall at Göbekli Tepe.
Archaeologists have uncovered a rare human statue at Göbekli Tepe, the 11,500-year-old temple complex in southeastern Turkey, shedding new light on the symbolic and ritual practices at the world’s oldest-known monumental structure.
The find was announced by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy during a ceremony unveiling new restoration work at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The statue, which has an intact head and torso but was missing its feet, was discovered embedded horizontally within a wall between two major enclosures known as Structure B and Structure D.
The Human Statue Found At Göbekli Tepe May Have Been A Votive Offering
Researchers say that the statue’s placement in the wall was deliberate. Rather than being a simple decoration or part of the structure’s architecture, it appears to have been a votive offering, an object deposited as part of a ritual act.
The discovery is particularly significant because human representations are rare at Göbekli Tepe. The monumental complex, which predates Stonehenge by roughly 6,000 years, is perhaps most famous for its T-shaped limestone pillars, many decorated with carvings of animals such as foxes, snakes, and wild boars. These pillars are arranged in circular enclosures thought to have hosted communal rituals.
Wikimedia CommonsCarvings like this one, depicting a fox, are some of the most noteworthy finds that have been made at Göbekli Tepe.
The inclusion of this “highly valuable” human figure, as Ersoy said in a statement shared on X, adds a new dimension to the scholarship surrounding this site. While Göbekli Tepe has long been considered a ritual center emphasizing the role of animals and symbolic motifs, the newly uncovered statue suggests that human imagery also played a role in Neolithic spiritual life.
“Between Structures B and D, archaeologists uncovered a human statue mounted horizontally into a wall, likely as an offering,” Ersoy said. “While similar examples were previously found at Karahan Tepe, this discovery from Göbekli Tepe marks a milestone in our understanding of the Neolithic worldview.”
Apart from this announcement, Ersoy discussed ongoing restoration work at Göbekli Tepe. Structure C, the largest enclosure at the site, has been reinforced, with walls rebuilt and pillars replaced in their documented original positions. According to Anadolu Agency, conservation teams used “special mortar” made with goat hair to replicate prehistoric building techniques.
Turkish Ministry of Culture and TourismAn aerial view of the ongoing restoration work at Göbekli Tepe.
New infrastructure is also being prepared to accommodate growing tourism. This includes a visitor center, parking areas, and walkways, which are scheduled to open by the end of 2025. Officials said the upgrades will help preserve the fragile site while making it more accessible to the public.
“In addition, the approximately 1,000 olive trees we have planted this year contribute to the protection of the site, while the geomagnetic surveys to be conducted next month will determine our future excavation strategy,” the minister added.
The efforts are part of the broader Taş Tepeler Project, which involves 36 institutions and more than 200 experts and students working at 10 archaeological sites across the region.
The Continually Unfolding Story Of Göbekli Tepe, Believed To Be The World’s Oldest Temple
First uncovered in the 1990s by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, Göbekli Tepe dates back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, roughly between 9600 and 8000 B.C.E. The site is widely considered one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, fundamentally altering historians’ understanding of early human society.
Its scale and complexity suggest that organized religion and communal rituals predated agriculture and permanent settlements, challenging older models of human development.
Wikimedia CommonsDating back some 11,500 years, Göbekli Tepe is widely believed to be the oldest temple in the world.
Over the years, excavations at Göbekli Tepe have revealed a lunisolar calendar, dozens of decorated pillars, stone sculptures, and evidence of feasting, all pointing to a society that placed heavy emphasis on symbolic and ritual activities. The newly discovered human statue deepens that picture by demonstrating how imagery of people, not just animals, was built into the architecture of ritual spaces.
The artifact’s precise role, however, remains unclear. Archaeologists cautioned that more detailed study will be needed to confirm early interpretations of the statue as a votive offering. The missing feet, for example, could be the result of damage, or they may reflect a symbolic choice by the builders.
Further analysis is expected in the coming months, but officials said that the statue has already affirmed once again that Göbekli Tepe has many more secrets to be revealed.
After reading about this statue found at Göbekli Tepe, explore nine of the world’s oldest structures and the stories behind them. Then, check out 44 ancient artifacts that reveal what life was like for our earliest ancestors.
