Gobekli Tepe: The World's First Temple? By Andrew Curry

https://www.academia.edu/7248959/Gobekli_Tepe_The_Worlds_First_Temple?nav_from=943d2155-e25b-46bd-8e7e-773c727530d9 Göbekli Tepe, located in southeastern Turkey, is posited as the world’s oldest monumental site, dating back 11,000 years, before the advent of agriculture, domestic animals, or metalworking. Its intricate T-shaped limestone pillars and carvings challenge previous archaeological assumptions that agricultural surplus was a precursor to monumental architecture and suggest that social organization for collective worship may have stimulated early agricultural practices. This finding reshapes the understanding of the origins of complex Neolithic societies and the development of symbolism, placing Göbekli Tepe at the center of this debate.