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Karahantepe archaeological discoveries

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2026-08-27 21:59 UTC → 2026-08-28 13:27 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Archaeologists excavating the Karahantepe Neolithic site in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, have discovered an 11,000-year-old limestone sculpture depicting a human figure on the back of a leopard. The approximately 70-centimeter-tall statue was found in its original prehistoric position on a stone platform within a small circular structure. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy noted that the sculpture’s style is “unlike anything seen before.” While earlier finds at the site often depicted leopards attacking humans, this specific piece suggests a reversal of roles, potentially symbolizing human dominance, power, or ritualistic control over predators. Experts believe the discovery may offer new insights into the social and symbolic lives of early Neolithic societies. As one of the world’s oldest known settlements, dating to approximately 9750 BCE, Karahantepe is part of a significant cultural landscape in the Şanlıurfa province that includes Göbekli Tepe. The discovery of the leopard rider statue, found resting on a stone bench along the wall of a circular building, provides further evidence regarding the symbolic expressions and social structures of early human communities transitioning toward settled life.

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