Gobekli Tepe and the Origins of Science
Göbekli Tepe and the Origins of Science How a prehistoric monument may change our understanding of the origins of astronomy, writing, civilisation, and science 1. The Discovery On a limestone ridge overlooking the Harran Plain in southeastern Turkey stands one of the most remarkable archaeological sites ever discovered: Göbekli Tepe. Its massive stone pillars were erected more than 11,500 years ago, making them older than Stonehenge by six millennia and older than the Egyptian pyramids by seven. They also predate pottery, metallurgy, writing and, perhaps most surprisingly, established agriculture. For much of the twentieth century, archaeologists believed they understood the sequence that led to civilization. Farming was established first. Reliable food production allowed permanent settlements to develop. Villages became towns, populations grew, labour became specialised and, eventually, societies acquired the resources needed to build monuments, invent writing, develop mathematics and...