Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain
Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain Tell
Pre-Pottery Neolithic (9600–8000 BCE)·Pre-Pottery Neolithic·🇹🇷 Şanlıurfa Province, Tek Tek Mountains, Turkey
About
About Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain
Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain in Şanlıurfa Province, Tek Tek Mountains, Turkey is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic (9600–8000 BCE) temple complex attributed to Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture. German and Syrian excavations document stratified sequence with ceramic seriation and radiocarbon. The site includes a principal mound and ancillary settlement.
Why it mattersKey Pre-Pottery Neolithic site illustrating Pre-Pottery Neolithic (9600–8000 BCE) temple-complex traditions.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Urban planning of Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain
- 02Chronology of lower town
Theories
- 01Administrative centre for Pre-Pottery Neolithic
- 02Trade hub on Euphrates/Khabur
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 9400 BCE
- Period
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic (9600–8000 BCE)
- Culture
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic
- Purpose
- T-pillar sanctuary and quarry plateau 60 ha, sister to Göbekli Tepe
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 9400 BCE
Initial settlement
c. 2000 BCE
Major expansion and fortification
On the ground
Structures & features
37.0901° N · 42.7111° E · 511 m · 3 mapped features
- Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain — Main MoundmoundMain tell mound Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain 15 m high with stratified phases37.0909° N · 42.7119° E
- Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain — Lower TownsettlementLower town settlement 10 ha with houses and kilns37.0892° N · 42.7106° E
- Karahan Tepe — Urfa Plain — Gate AreagateFortified gate with mudbrick walls and bastions37.0912° N · 42.7104° E
Gallery