Image Credit: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism

Old Human Faced Pillar Found at Karahantepe

Archaeologists excavating at Karahantepe in southeastern Turkey have uncovered a T-shaped pillar with a carved human face — the first of its kind ever found. The discovery was announced by Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, as part of the Tas Tepeler (Stone Mounds) Project, which investigates some of the world’s earliest monumental sites.
The face, carved 12,000 years ago, features sharp contours, deep-set eyes, and a wide nose, expanding the symbolic meaning of these monumental stones beyond architecture. Researchers say the find marks a turning point in the study of early human art, suggesting the pillars symbolized human identity and spirituality.
The Tas Tepeler Project documents the shift from hunter-gatherer to settled life in Anatolia and highlights the region’s role as a cradle of civilization. This discovery strengthens the view that southeastern Turkey was also a birthplace of symbolic thought and artistic expression.

Published on: 06-10-2025

Source: Türkiye Today