In Turkey, archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery, unearthing a nearly 11,000-year-old statue believed to depict a giant man holding his penis, along with a life-size statue of a wild boar. These two statues were found in the neighboring sites of Gobekli Tepe and Karahantepe, which rank among the world’s oldest temple sites.
The limestone wild boar statue, discovered at Gobekli Tepe, dates back to a period between 8700 B.C. and 8200 B.C. It measures 4.4 feet (1.4 meters) in length and 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) in height, as stated by the German Archaeological Institute. Traces of red, black, and white pigments were detected on its surface, indicating that the sculpture was once painted. On the other hand, the large statue of a man was unearthed at the Karahantepe site, approximately 22 miles (35 kilometers) away from Gobekli Tepe. According to a statement from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the sculpture depicts a 7.5-foot-tall (2.3 meters) man. The person’s ribs, spine, and shoulders are notably pronounced, suggesting a portrayal of a deceased individual.
According to Benjamin Arbuckle, an anthropology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who was not directly involved in the excavations, these discoveries “represent the latest spectacular finds from these sites which are transforming our understanding of pre-agricultural communities.” He shared this insight in an email to Live Science.
In addition to the aforementioned findings, researchers also came across a small sculpture of a vulture in close proximity to Karahantepe. Although the exact age of the newly discovered statues at Karahantepe was not specified by archaeologists, the site itself is approximately 11,000 years old and contains other sculptures and structures.
Previously, archaeologists held the belief that the hunter-gatherer communities in southwest Asia around 11,000 years ago were characterized as “relatively simple, small in scale, and generally egalitarian,” as stated by Arbuckle. However, the excavations conducted at Gobekli Tepe and Karahantepe over the past three decades have challenged and debunked this notion, according to Arbuckle.
Gobekli Tepe, a vast megalithic site adorned with T-shaped pillars and intricate sculptures depicting animals, abstract symbols, and human hands, challenges the previous notion of hunter-gatherer communities in the region. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization suggests that the site was likely used for funerary rituals. The presence of such a massive and sophisticated complex indicates that these communities were not as simplistic as once believed, but rather organized in a manner that enabled them to construct grand architectural works.
The purpose of the recently discovered sculptures remains uncertain. Ted Banning, an anthropology professor at the University of Toronto who is not directly involved in the research, expressed his fascination with the Karahantepe finds. In an email to Live Science, he stated, “Any interpretation of the statue is speculative at this point,” but suggested that the depicted individual is likely deceased. It may represent “an important ancestor associated with the building in which it was found.”
The posture of the figure could provide further insight into its purpose. “The fact that the figure is clutching its penis is also consistent with this interpretation by potentially symbolizing that this person was the progenitor of a social group, such as a lineage or clan, associated with the building,” suggested Banning.
Banning proposes that the structures at Karahantepe and Gobekli Tepe might have served as dwellings rather than exclusively as temples. “In which case, it makes a lot of sense that each would have its own lineage ancestor,” he added.
It is not surprising that the wild boar sculpture exhibits pigments, as Banning pointed out. “I think it’s plausible that much or even most of the sculpture at these sites was originally painted,” he said, noting that paint does not preserve well in the archaeological record.
At the time of publication, archaeologists involved in the excavations have not responded to requests for comments.
