Possible dwellings found near the Göbekli Tepe monuments

A team of archaeologists identified traces of possible dwellings at Göbekli Tepe, the famous 11,000-year-old site located in southeastern Turkey. The findings are based on geophysical surveys conducted near the imposing T-shaped pillars that characterize the site.

Until now, the prevailing hypothesis was that the complex was built and used solely by hunter-gatherer groups for ceremonial gatherings. This interpretation was supported by the scarcity of evidence of agriculture and the almost total absence of pottery in the area.

Necmi Karul, from Istanbul University and the Stone Hills Project, explained that the surveys detected traces of several large buildings. According to the specialist, the internal layout of these constructions indicates that they may have functioned as residences, at least during some stages of the site's long history.

The discovery forces a reevaluation of the classic image of Göbekli Tepe as an exclusively ritual center. The new structures appear close to the monumental enclosures and suggest a closer coexistence between sacred spaces and domestic areas.

A Shift in Perspective on the Site

For decades, it was thought that the builders of the large pillars did not reside permanently at the site. The lack of clear evidence of daily life reinforced the idea of sporadic visits linked to ceremonies.

The geophysical data now shows a different picture. The layouts of the detected buildings exhibit characteristics compatible with residential use. This does not imply that the entire complex was a permanent settlement, but it does suggest that there were periods of residential occupation.

Karul emphasized that these are preliminary indications obtained through non-invasive methods. Excavation will still be necessary to confirm the exact function of each structure and specify the dates of use.

The site, declared a World Heritage Site, continues to offer surprises more than three decades after its scientific rediscovery. Each new work season alters the narrative of how early Neolithic communities were organized in the region.

Implications for the Study of the Neolithic

The presence of possible dwellings alongside the monuments reinforces the social complexity of the groups that erected Göbekli Tepe. Building and maintaining these enormous structures required coordination and resources, something that may have been accompanied by daily life in the same location.

The almost total absence of evidence of plant and animal domestication remains a key point. This keeps the discussion open about whether the builders were still hunter-gatherers or if they were already transitioning to more sedentary ways of life.

The results of the geophysical surveys add to a growing body of information that portrays Göbekli Tepe as a dynamic space, used over several millennia and with functions that likely changed over time.

For researchers, the next step will be to combine subsurface data with controlled excavations. Only then can it be determined with greater certainty whether those large constructions actually housed the people who erected the famous monumental pillars.