Taş Tepeler Project

Taş Tepeler (Şanlıurfa Neolithic Research) Project, Şanlıurfa and its surrounding 11 archaeological sites constitute a large-scale archaeological project aimed at investigating the transition to settled life and the early phases of the Neolithic period. The project seeks to comprehensively document and evaluate settlements, cult structures, public spaces, elements of daily life, and symbolic traditions dating between the 10th and 7th millennia BCE.

In scope, Taş Tepeler addresses one of the earliest and most intensive settlement networks identified in Anatolia to date, integrating excavations at sites such as Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Sefer Tepe, Sayburç, Harbetsuvan, Çakmaktepe, Yoğunburç, and Söğüt Tarlası under a unified research program.

Archaeology: The project focuses on defining the architectural layouts, public and ritual structures, traces of daily life, and community production strategies of Neolithic settlements. Excavations have revealed data on residential arrangements, storage areas, stone-working techniques, and the tradition of relief and sculpture. In particular, the figurative sculptures found at Karahantepe and Sayburç highlight the diversity of rituals and symbolic practices.

Paleo-Environmental Research: Paleo-environmental studies, which examine the relationship between prehistoric communities and their natural surroundings, form a core component of the project. Research at Karahantepe has concentrated on climate, vegetation, natural resource use, and the ecosystem of the Tek Tek Mountains. Geoarchaeological and paleoclimatic analyses are used to understand how early settled hunter-gatherer groups utilized their environment and how these environmental conditions influenced the continuity of settlements.

Cultural Heritage Management: The project encompasses not only excavation work but also the conservation, restoration, and development of management plans for the sites. Conservation and restoration processes are underway for the Lion Structure and Structure C at Göbeklitepe, while visitor management, exhibition strategies, and long-term preservation measures are being planned. Comprehensive efforts are also being made at Karahantepe to preserve architectural integrity.

Ethnoarchaeology: Ethnoarchaeological studies, which use contemporary local community practices as analogies to understand Neolithic lifeways, are being conducted as part of the project. This approach contributes to the interpretation of production techniques, natural resource utilization, and forms of ritual behavior.

The Taş Tepeler Project conducts collaborative research with various universities and research institutions. With participation from 36 academic institutions, including Çukurova, Ege, Harran, and Istanbul Universities, the project has acquired a multidisciplinary character. As of 2025, the number of scientists and students involved in the project has reached 219.

This broad participation contributes to the establishment of a regional research network in Neolithic archaeology.

Upright-mouthed “Death Face” Sculpture Discovered during excavations at Sayburç, this unique artifact represents an original example related to symbolic rituals. Additionally, reliefs, figurative stone carvings, and standing stones from Göbeklitepe and surrounding areas provide new insights into the belief systems of the Neolithic period.

^{Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy with the Upright-Mouthed ‘Death Face’ Sculpture (}AA⁾

The oval and circular structures uncovered at Karahantepe provide significant information about community spatial organization and public usage areas. Findings reflecting subsistence strategies include storage facilities, everyday stone tools, and traces of production.

The project encompasses 11 archaeological centers.

Located approximately 15 km northeast of Şanlıurfa city center, on the summit of the Germuş Mountain Range, Göbeklitepe is an early Neolithic settlement (circa 9600–7750 BCE). It is one of the earliest and most monumental centers within Taş Tepeler, distinguished by its T-shaped monumental standing stones, circular structures, and rich reliefs.

^{Göbeklitepe (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Located east of Şanlıurfa within the boundaries of Tek Tek Mountains National Park, Karahantepe is a major Neolithic center where circular and rectangular public structures, numerous standing stones, and associated ritual spaces reveal the coexistence of settlement and public areas.

^{Karahantepe (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Situated on the southern slopes of the Eastern Taurus Mountains, within the boundaries of a modern settlement, Sayburç stands out as a site that sheds light on the ritual and symbolic world of early communities through its reliefs depicting human and animal figures.

^{Artifacts from Sayburç (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Located east of Şanlıurfa between Birecik and Viranşehir, Sefer Tepe is a center where individual standing stones, circular structures, and a dense assemblage of flint tools demonstrate the coexistence of stone craftsmanship and ritual architecture.

^{Sefer Tepe (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Located approximately 40 km from Şanlıurfa, on the edge of the Tek Tek Mountains plateau, Harbetsuvan reveals a large-scale settlement with widespread surface finds, standing stone remnants, and architectural traces identified through geophysical surveys, indicating intensive use during the early Neolithic period.

^{Harbetsuvan (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Located east of Şanlıurfa, Çakmaktepe is a settlement where residential and workshop areas from the Neolithic period have been identified. A rich assemblage of flint tools associated with flint production, floor arrangements, and figurative stone finds demonstrate that the site combined daily production with symbolic practices.

Located south of Şanlıurfa near the Harran Plain, Gürcütepe provides significant data on the region’s ceramic Neolithic phases and the development of agricultural-pastoral lifeways through its pottery and stone tool assemblages and animal figurines.

^{Gürcütepe (}Taş Tepeler⁾

Located 32 km northwest of Şanlıurfa city center, immediately west of the Bozova district center, this multi-period settlement and cemetery complex occupies a broad area of low mounds and valleys. First identified in surface surveys in 1963 and excavated in 1964, it has been re-investigated since 2022 under the Taş Tepeler – Şanlıurfa Neolithic Research Project. The site offers insights into burial traditions of early farming-foraging communities, with stratigraphic layers extending from the Aceramic Neolithic to later periods through the Biris Cemetery.

The Taş Tepeler Project is recognized as one of the most comprehensive prehistoric research initiatives ever conducted in Türkiye, aiming to construct a holistic dataset on the earliest phases of the Neolithic period. The project contributes significantly to a detailed understanding of Anatolia’s cultural and social life 12,000 years ago. The Taş Tepeler region is emphasized as the “Neolithic capital of the world.”

Some sites associated with the project are open to visitors. International exhibitions, public outreach programs, and research presentations are regularly held at Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe; future exhibitions are planned in countries such as Japan and the United Kingdom.