Gobekli Tepe And Musings on Civilization

smithsonianmag

The Smithsonian reported 15 months ago, about the archaeological discoveries of Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, and their implications regarding the conventional view of the rise of civilization.

The temple seems to have been built more than 11,000 years ago, handily predating Babylonian and Mesopotamian city-states. More interestingly, the discovery sets forward the notion that it was religious belief that compelled herders and hunters to gather together in one place and arrange their affairs, develop craftsmanship and agrarian practices to accomplish the building of the temple and carry out the associated rituals.