'12,000-year-old' human statue discovered at Turkey's Gobekli Tepe

Turkey has announced the discovery of a human statue at the 12,000-year-old archaeological site of Gobekli Tepe, a site widely regarded as the world’s oldest known temple complex.

The statue, believed to date back more than 12,000 years, was reportedly found embedded in a wall between two of the site’s monumental enclosures, known as Structures B and D, during restoration work on nearby Structure C.

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy unveiled the find during a ceremony at Gobekli Tepe, attended by Princess Akiko of Japan.

Local media quoted Ersoy as saying that the discovery "adds to our understanding of the symbolic and ritual practices" of the community that built and used the site in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period.

Archaeologists involved in the project suggested that the statue may have been deliberately placed within the wall as part of a ritual offering, though they cautioned that a full study will be needed before drawing firm conclusions.

Reports described the find as unique in its context, suggesting it may shed new light on how early human societies used monumental architecture for both religious and communal purposes.

Gobekli Tepe, located in southeastern Turkey near the city of Urfa, has been under excavation since the 1990s. It consists of circular stone enclosures featuring massive T-shaped pillars decorated with carvings of animals and abstract symbols.

The site predates the invention of pottery and agriculture, making it one of the earliest known centres of complex ritual or religious activity.

Experts say the discovery of a human statue within the structural fabric of the site, if confirmed, would mark a significant addition to a record dominated by animal iconography.

It could provide new evidence that the builders of Gobekli Tepe not only venerated animals but also engaged in symbolic representations of human figures, possibly linked to early forms of ancestor worship or ritual deposition.

Scholars have long debated whether Gobekli Tepe represents the world’s first "temple", a centre for organised religion that predated and perhaps even stimulated the development of agriculture and permanent settlement.

The unearthing of a human statue strengthens arguments that the site’s role went beyond utilitarian functions and into the symbolic or spiritual life of early societies.

The find may also prompt reassessment of the cultural links between Gobekli Tepe and other Neolithic sites across Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia, where smaller anthropomorphic figurines have been found.

If verified, it could indicate that ritual practices involving human representations were more widespread and complex than previously thought.

While the announcement has generated excitement, archaeologists urge caution until peer-reviewed studies are published. Past discoveries at Göbekli Tepe have sometimes been over-interpreted before detailed analysis was completed.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has not yet released photographs or technical reports on the statue.