As humans, our knowledge of the world can be categorized in two segments: the happenings of the present day, and the information that we discern about our reality by studying the past. The latter, however, is often forgotten. In reality, anthropology — the study of humans and human civilizations — is needed to adequately examine our current society. This is to say that what is uncovered in archeological digs contributes to our holistic understanding of humanity just as much as what we see in the present-day news cycle.
A particular archaeological dig, which has been in progress since 1996 at a site known as Göbekli Tepe, is of enormous consequence to the story of mankind, and should be seen on a level plane with other contemporary paradigm-shifting events, such as global pandemics and national elections. We must realize that the present is an arbitrary moment in time and the eons that came before are of utmost importance in understanding why things are the way they are today. Göbekli Tepe is as far back in our history as we can go, and has quickly become one of the most consequential sites we know of.
Aerial view of the site at Göbekli Tepe
Discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Shmidt in 1994, Göbekli Tepe has challenged what we thought we knew about archaeology and early human civilizations. When archeologists concluded that it was built between the 10th and 9th millennium BC, it became the oldest and largest megalithic site in the world. For reference, this makes Göbekli Tepe roughly 7,000 years older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Because of what society believed at the time of Göbekli Tepe’s discovery, mainstream archaeologists attributed the construction of this massive site to the neolithic hunter gatherers native to Southeastern Turkey. However, the architectural techniques used in the building of Göbekli Tepe are comparable to those of the Pyramids of Egypt, which indicates that the constructors had at least a basic knowledge of math and geometry—not to mention the ability to lift stones up to 20 tons. While Göbekli Tepe may not be as flashy and aesthetic as the Pyramids —largely because it is currently underground and not driving a country’s lucrative tourism industry—the fact remains that it represents a major anomaly in the world of anthropology and archaeology that should be examined through a lens of cautious but profound curiosity. According to Schmidt, Göbekli Tepe “provides a chapter of humanity we did not know of before.”
Another interesting aspect about Göbekli Tepe is that it is the earliest known occurrence of agriculture. All prior information about the civilizations of this time period around the world pointed to the presence of nomadic hunter gatherers. However, with the uncovering of Göbekli Tepe, a wealth of new evidence of agriculture was found—as well as the domestication of four animals: Goat, sheep, cow, and pig. Interestingly, there is no evidence of agriculture any time before the construction of the monument. The site seemed to be a center for learning where the practice of agriculture was taught to groups of hunter gatherers who lived in the area. In other words, Göbekli Tepe was not a settlement, but rather a sanctuary, and it was built by a civilization keen on providing skills and information to its inhabitants. In fact, the origins of the domesticated wheat that we consume today can be traced back to this exact region, referred to as the “Fertile Crescent.”
Artist depiction of the construction of Göbekli Tepe
What makes this story so interesting, however, is that we don’t see a gradual understanding of the cultivation of crops over generations by hunter gatherers, but rather a sudden explosion of the practice facilitated by an anomalous society. For the 3,000 years that Göbekli Tepe was in operation, hunter gatherers would come meet at the site and return to their settlements. Scholars familiar with the subject have referred to it as a “center of innovation,” and Schmidt describes it as “a platform for the people to meet and to communicate and to share knowledge and stories and to talk.”
According to mainstream archaeology, the site was built by the local hunter gatherers themselves. While it may have been built by the people who were previously known to inhabit the region, by definition, this is not something that hunter gatherers typically do, and even the establishment agrees that this was a “deviation from the hunting and gathering way of life.” The fact is, if we had known about Göbekli Tepe when we first began to study the anthropology of the time and region, we simply would not have classified these people as hunter gatherers. The manpower required to construct such a monument coupled with the social organization required to manage such a large-scale project is not within the purview of traditional hunter gatherers.
Main excavated area
Currently, we have little evidence to make sense of such grand findings. However, we can explore ancient folklore to help contextualize the mysteries of various sites and moments in history. When we study a myth in Sumerian history, for example, we learn about a mountain dwelling called Du-Ku that is described as the source where grain was first sowed and animals first domesticated. The myth claims that the ancient inhabitants of Du-Ku were responsible for the fall of migration and the rise of farming and a more sedentary human lifestyle. While the idea that Du-Ku is Göbekli Tepe is just a theory, being the oldest civilization we know of, if anyone knew the truth about Göbekli Tepe, it would likely be the Sumerians. The term “Du-Ku” translates to “holy hill,” and incidentally, “Göbekli Tepe” means “potbelly hill.” It is important to note that Göbekli Tepe was built not on a natural hill, but a manmade one, meaning its constructors first had to form the earth into a hill and then build the temple on top of it. This is consistent with the universal trend of early civilizations building mounds or pyramids—from the Cahokia Mounds built-in modern-day Missouri by pre-Columbian Americans and the pyramids built by the Mayans to the ancient mounds and pyramids built by early Chinese civilizations and, of course, the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Essentially, early civilizations had a tendency to compile the earth in this general shape.
There are several theories as to how such sites were built, some even hinting to the presence of extraterrestrials. It is important to view Göbekli Tepe with the same amount of wonder and reverence —or perhaps more given the fact that it is ancient even to the Pharaohs of Egypt. As we ponder how they were able to be built during what we thought of as such a primitive time, another question must be asked: Are these sites linked in any way? While we can’t yet confirm that Du-Ku does in fact refer to Göbekli Tepe, it is a very compelling theory, especially considering the Sumerians’ close proximity—both in terms of time and space—to the ancient site. It is clear we’re missing huge, consequential pieces of information—even regarding the most studied of these sites—so perhaps this missing piece of information will provide clarity into the origin of multiple ancient wonders.
The final but perhaps most mysterious finding from the site of Göbekli Tepe reveals that this monument was buried artificially, not naturally. Because it sat on a hill, and hilltops are generally known for erosion rather than deposition of sediment, we can infer that those using the site intentionally buried it before abandoning it after 3,000 years. Consequently, the site is not contaminated with artifacts of any later civilization, which affirms archaeologists’ dating of the site upon excavation.
Only 5 percent of Göbekli Tepe has been excavated thus far, but the findings are remarkable. From the evidence of knowledge-sharing between different settlements to the advanced geometric designs and curious animal carvings, the tiny sliver of truth that we know about this site is already the most consequential and paradigm-shifting truth in the world of anthropology.
Animal carvings at Göbekli Tepe
But the question remains: How did Göbekli Tepe come to be?
For those who are fascinated by the unknown origins of human civilization, open to the idea that the current period may not be the uncontested pinnacle of human society, and simply humbled by the discovery of sites like Göbekli Tepe which pose more questions than they answer, the simplified assessment by mainstream archaeology that it was built by hunter gatherers is rather frustrating, for a number of reasons other the clear lack of evidence. The world of academia in general often deters researchers from contesting theories accepted as the truth. After all, it’s easier to publish a paper which supports the findings of the entity which funds you than it would be to provide differing hypotheses that could lead to drastically new understanding.
Graham Hancock is one of the few prominent figures who is attempting to piece together the story of mankind—a task that requires one to detach themselves from the dogma of our current academic landscape and not be afraid of saying something wrong. The most important work being done in science is always what’s on the cusp of what is known and what is not known, requiring trial and error and the exploration of out-of-the box ideas.
Much of Hancock’s work is on answering the questions around humanity’s earliest and most impressive civilizations. From the Pyramids of Egypt to the Peruvian city of Tiahuanaco, Hancock is fascinated by the near impossible feats that past societies have accomplished. He has taken it upon himself to answer the questions of how and why ancient civilizations did the things they did. His main thesis, and the reason he is ostracized by most of the academic community, is that there lived a highly advanced ancient civilization which somehow relayed information to the more widely studied ancient civilizations we know of today, such as the Greeks, Egyptians, and Incans. Hancock believes this theory can help explain the existence of highly advanced structures from Stonehenge to the Great Pyramids. Naturally, Göbekli Tepe is at the center of Hancock’s work, and his postulation is that this was not the birth of civilization, but rather a rebirth of civilization facilitated by the transfer of knowledge to neolithic hunter gatherers from members of this advanced society, most of whom were wiped out by a global cataclysm caused by an asteroid impact which took place around 12,000 years ago.
It sounds pretty out there. But when you look at the facts, evidence presents itself that helps legitimize this theory. We know that one of the most consequential events in the history of our planet was the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and caused the K-T boundary, a geological feature which can be seen across the world. Recently, thanks to the work done by Jim Kennett, Allen west, James Wittke, Richar Firestone, and Albert Goodyear in 2013, there is a growing body of evidence which points to an extraterrestrial impact 12,800 years ago that contributed to megafaunal extinctions—a hypothesis that is supported by mainstream geology as well. Their study found that 10 million tons of spherules were distributed across 50 million square kilometers. Spherules are very small pieces of a comet or asteroid which disperse across vast areas upon impact on a planet. This event laid down a layer of ash and soot across the planet, known as a black mat, and geologic surveys of this layer show the same spherules and other impact proxies as the K-T event from modern day Canada to Syria. The supposed impact has also been used to explain a sudden decrease in temperatures and return to the glacial conditions of the ice age, known as the Younger Dryas. While this is still a theory and not yet accepted as fact, it has been supported by many highly respected scholars in the field of geology. This along with the convincing physical evidence makes it a very enticing and popular hypothesis with major implications
Graph of Earth temperature over time
As seen in the graph, the onset of the Younger Dryas, likely caused by the impact of comet fragments 12,800 years ago, was accompanied by massive floods and global cooling. It is said to have made an impact on the North American Icecap, causing meltwater to enter the gulf stream, one of Earth’s main heating systems. Also observed is another instance of massive flooding, known as Meltwater Pulse 1B, which occurred 11,600 years ago—only this time the event coincided with a sudden rise in temperature. In the 1980s, astronomer Sir Fred Dyle said that the second incident was also a result of an extraterrestrial impact, this time in the ocean, which caused water vapor to fill the atmosphere and led to a greenhouse effect . While evidence for this hypothesis isn’t as strong as the initial impact, the fact is that there were two major catastrophic events associated with melting ice around this period.
What does this have to do with Göbekli Tepe and ancient civilizations? We’ve very recently found out that there was a major cataclysm 12,800 years ago – not quite as intense as the K-T event but a baby version of it if you will – only this time there were modern humans living on Earth. Had there been any sort of advanced civilization living at this point, namely in North America, they likely would have been wiped off the map.
One of the most widely known myths of humanity is the story of Atlantis, a highly advanced island-nation described by Plato in his works Timaeus and Critias. It is important to note that while we refer to many stories today as myths, at the time of their transcription, they were being recorded as documentation of real events. In the case of Atlantis, Plato had heard of the story from his grandfather, Solon. Solon traveled to Egypt in the year 600 BC and heard from priests at the Temple of Sais about Atlantis being destroyed by an earthquake and flood. When Solon asked the priests when Atlantis was destroyed, they said it happened 9,000 years prior.
This is where it gets really interesting: 9,000 years before 600 BC would be 9,600 BC. And 9,600 BC would be 11,600 years ago, precisely the date of Meltwater Pulse 1B, give or take a few decades.
Could Atlantis have been a real place, and part of the highly advanced lost civilization which Graham Hancock has hypothesized? If so, could members of this civilization also be responsible for the construction of Göbekli Tepe, which was built between the 10th and 9th millennium BC – roughly 11,600 years ago?
Yes, it is possible.
This would allow us to make sense of the anomalous site of Göbekli Tepe and help explain the sudden appearance of advanced structures and agriculture, which we consider to be the start of human civilization—or a restart of civilization. Being open to this possibility would also help us make sense of the geometric precision and grandiosity of sites like the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, and the temple at Tiahuanaco. If there existed a highly advanced civilization in our ancient past, there would theoretically exist a central repository of knowledge which early civilizations drew from.
Given the current, compartmentalized state of global academia, the scholars doing work at the frontier of human knowledge must be intellectually cautious and stick to hard data and facts, rather than unsubstantiated theories. But then there are independent-thinkers like Graham Hancock, who are not bound by the dogma or professional pressures of any particular scientific field.
There are also platforms like World Wide Waves that aim to present thought-provoking content to raise our collective consciousness, and allow everyday free-thinking people to take in all the magnificence of the amazing reality we live in. It is up to us to think critically and look at the world around with bewilderment: It may be more fascinating and magical than the current systems allow us to comprehend.
Truth persists. Truth does not conform to the zeitgeist of any particular moment in time. We are limited by the dogma of our time in our ability to perceive the objective truth. Whatever happened at Göbekli Tepe happened. This particular event is as far back in our history as we can go, and the tiny sliver of truth that we know about this site is already the most consequential and paradigm shifting truth in the world of anthropology.
The Great Pyramids were built 4,500 years ago, and we have no idea how. Stonehenge stood 1,000 years before that, and we have no idea how. Göbekli Tepe was constructed 7,000 years before that, and we have no idea how. But someone did it. The how is out there, and I’m sure that if and when we uncover the secret, it will be far more mind-blowing and paradigm-shifting than the structures themselves.
References
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- Faiz, Haque, The story and the consequence of Göbekli Tepe, www.worldwidewaves.co
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