11,000-Year-Old Stone Sculpture Unearthed at Göbekli Tepe’s Mysterious Sister Site Was Carved Millennia Before the First Human Societies

Officials from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the discovery of a 70-centimeter-tall composite sculpture at Karahan Tepe, a parallel site to Göbekli Tepe. The sculpture depicts a human figure riding a leopard and was found resting on a bench along the wall of a circular structure. The discovery dates back 11,000 years and represents a style not previously identified in the region. The structure’s floor was paved with flat stones, suggesting a sophisticated level of architectural planning during an era predating the emergence of cities and written records. The sculpture is considered a significant find that challenges previous assumptions about the timeline of complex social organization. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism described it as a "composite sculpture" that "opens new questions" about the earliest periods of human history. The discovery highlights the region’s rich archaeological heritage and the sophistication of the ancient society that created it.

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