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Neolithic 'amphitheater' uncovered at Karahantepe archaeological site
"The main purpose was to bring people together. This design continued in later eras in the form of amphitheaters and odeons,” said Prof. Karul.
Archaeologists working at the Karahantepe excavation site in southeastern Turkey have discovered a Neolithic-era structure resembling an amphitheater, along with a human-shaped statue, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Located within the Tek Tek Mountains National Park in Şanlıurfa province, excavations at the site has gained momentum through the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s "Legacy to the Future" project. Excavations aim to shed light on the lives and rituals of early human communities.
Excavation head Prof. Necmi Karul told AA that settlement at Karahantepe began around 9400 BCE and continued into the 8000s BCE. He explained that three distinct architectural phases have been identified at the site.
In the earliest phase, structures had circular plans; in the second phase, they became rectangular with rounded corners; and in the final stage, buildings featured sharp corners. Public and residential buildings were found across all phases.
Karul noted that unique artifacts have been unearthed during ongoing digs inside residential structures, including the area where a 2.3-meter human statue was previously found.
“We’ve reached the bedrock throughout the structure, which is roughly 17 meters in diameter,” he said. “We discovered human heads embedded in the walls and seated human statues scattered across the floor. These are very unique finds.
"They suggest that prehistoric people began placing more emphasis on human figures over time. While animal symbolism was dominant in earlier phases, we now see a significant rise in human representation.”
Karul described the structure’s architectural design as particularly notable. “It has a focal point where the statue is located. Opposite this, there are wide, three-tiered platforms, almost like an odeon or amphitheater,” he said.
“The size and layering of these platforms suggest that groups of people may have sat there. This appears to be a newly encountered form of architectural planning.”
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A space designed to bring people together
Once restoration is complete and the pillars are re-erected, the site will be easier to define and interpret, Karul added.
He said the remains show evidence that large numbers of people gathered at the site and that both animal and human statues were placed at key points in the structures.
“These buildings allow us to draw some conclusions about their function,” Karul said. “If they were purely temples, their use would have been limited. Instead, we can say their main purpose was to bring people together. This design continued in later eras in the form of amphitheaters and odeons.
“The critical point may be that with the start of settled life, there was a need for spaces that facilitated communal living and cooperation. This could have motivated the construction of such buildings.” (VK)
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