Across the fertile Harran Plain in the Şanlıurfa region, the Taş Tepeler archaeological initiative is reshaping how we understand the earliest chapters of human history.
Comprising twelve Neolithic sites, the project has uncovered more than thirty remarkable artefacts in just a few years, each offering a fresh glimpse into life as it existed 12 millennia ago.

One of the most striking pieces displayed this year at the Karahantepe Visitor Center is a sculpture from Sayburç depicting a human with a sealed mouth — a powerful indication of symbolic funerary traditions. In Göbeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, archaeologists revealed a human figure integrated into a wall, demonstrating the refined artistic sensibilities of early Anatolian communities.

Additional discoveries include two contrasting facial reliefs from Sefertepe, carved using distinct techniques, and a rare black serpentinite bead engraved with faces on both sides — a masterwork of early Neolithic craftsmanship.

ANATOLIA AS A PRIMEVAL HUB OF CIVILIZATION

Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has highlighted the possibility that Taş Tepeler may be recognized as the “Neolithic capital of the world.”
Evidence increasingly shows that 12,000 years ago, Anatolia hosted dense, socially organized communities long before monumental architecture, megalithic building, or written language emerged elsewhere.

Beyond Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe, the network includes Sayburç, Sefertepe, Harbetsuvan, Çakmaktepe, Yenimahalle, Söğüt Tarlası, Mendiktepe, Yoğunburç, Gürcütepe, and Ayanlar Höyük — together forming a constellation of early human innovation.

A GLOBAL EFFORT TO PRESERVE EARLY HUMAN HISTORY

The project brings together 219 researchers from 36 academic institutions worldwide. Restoration is ongoing at key structures, while advanced laboratories and visitor centers are being built to support future scientific analysis.

As Taş Tepeler enters its sixth year, each excavated artefact helps illuminate the sophistication of societies that existed long before the pyramids, Stonehenge, or recorded history, revealing a far deeper and more intricate human story than previously imagined.

SHARING TAŞ TEPELER’S DISCOVERIES WITH THE WORLD

• A major exhibition in Rome attracted millions of visitors.

• Berlin is preparing a comprehensive show dedicated to Neolithic Anatolia.

• Planned exhibitions in the UK and Japan will further expand global awareness of these groundbreaking discoveries.