GöbekliTepe: A Window Into Early Human Rituals, Animal Symbolism, and Possible Pre-Veterinary Practices.

Year 2024, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 20 - 22, 31.12.2024

Bulent Basaran

Abstract

GöbekliTepe, located in south-eastern Anatolia, Turkey, is a groundbreaking archaeological site dating back approximately 12,000 years, predating agriculture and challenging traditional views on early civilization. Excavations reveal monumental T-shaped limestone pillars adorned with intricate animal carvings, suggesting the site functioned primarily as a ritual centre rather than a permanent settlement. The presence of animals such as snakes, foxes, wild boars, and aurochs indicates their significant symbolic meanings, possibly representing fertility, cunning, and strength within the spiritual beliefs of the hunter-gatherer communities.
Additionally, evidence of butchery and pathological conditions in animal remains suggests early veterinary practices and a complex relationship between humans and animals. The butchery marks on bones indicate organized meat processing, while healed injuries on some animals imply care from humans, pointing to a level of empathy and respect for animals. GöbekliTepe challenges conventional narratives about the origins of social and spiritual structures, demonstrating that complex rituals may have predated agricultural development. This site not only highlights the importance of ritual and animal symbolism in prehistoric societies but also reshapes our understanding of early human-animal relationships and the intricate dynamics of Neolithic life.

Keywords

Early Veterinary Practices, Animal Symbolism, Archaeofaunal Evidence

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