MYSTERY SOLVED: How the Göbekli Tepe T-Pillars were Quarried & Made

Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe and many of the Taş Tepeler sites in Southeastern Turkey, are widely known about because of the incredible decorated, and sometimes enormous T-shaped stone pillars.

These megalithic blocks are single pieces of quarried limestone, and have a functional, decorative and symbolic purpose. Since their discovery in the 1990s, they have captured everyone’s imagination, and the amazing thing about Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe is the fact there are unfinished T-pillars still inside the quarries.

I was lucky enough to see the one at Karahan Tepe earlier this year and on my return, I wanted to learn more about the origins of the pillars – the geological formations they came from, and also the ancient techniques used for quarrying.

So, in this video, I’ll be talking about the origins of the T-pillars, taking a closer look at the ones still inside the quarries and sharing all the things I’ve learned about how the ancient people managed to erect these enormous megaliths 10 to 12,000 years ago.

All images/video are either my own, or taken from the below sources for educational purposes only. Please subscribe to Ancient Architects, Like the video, and please leave a comment below. Thank you.

Contents:
0:00 Introduction
0:27 T-Shaped Pillars
5:05 The Geology of Göbekli Tepe
7:20 The Quarries of Göbekli Tepe
8:07 The Unfinished Pillar at Göbekli Tepe
9:33 How Hard is the Stone?
10:33 The Location of the Building Stone
11:28 How to Make a T-Shaped Pillar
14:28 Other Stone Objects in the Quarries
14:44 Terrazzo Mixing in the Quarry
15:48 The Unfinished Pillar at Karahan Tepe
18:17 Karahan Tepe Quarries
19:13 More Taş Tepeler Quarries Discovered
19:56 Why T-Pillars Imply a Roof
21:23 Concluding Remarks

Sources:

#AncientArchitects #göbeklitepe #karahantepe

[AncientArchitects]

Hello! I’ve had a bad cold all week so making this video has been especially hard - especially recording the audio! So thank you for watching.

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[BonyFingers]

By the way, 50 tonnes is a massive amount of weight. I'm a journeyman Bridgeman retired, and back in the 1990s, we did a 50-ton lift, which was a big deal. The shackles alone were 2 feet tall. There were 4 of us just watching the lift on each corner. These ancient people did this with our heavy equipment, and that must have been one hell of a satisfying accomplishment, giving these people a great sense of accomplishment, then they got to relive that feeling every time the people came and, for the first time, they saw the site, and were awestruck in amazement at the sight of these unbelievably huge pillars.... the place must have been famous at the time. It is funny how its memory faded away into obscurity and was completely forgotten about until it was accidentally discovered thousands of years later, it makes one wonder what else is out there, just waiting to be discovered.

[JMMRanMA]

Well, Matt, one of the many impressive elements in your videos is your comprehensive discussion of how things were done, in this case the unfinished T pillar, and previously the unfinished Egyptian obelisk. In this instance, it can be seen that once humanity discovers something, be it pottery, stone pillars or megaliths, they learn by doing over time with repetition, modification and experimentation. Thanks for your indefatigable efforts to bring the latest discoveries of our ancient ancestors culture to your viewers.

[scottfaudree]

Thank you ancient architects. You rule. This information isn’t easily found. You give it for free. Again thank you

[DinsDale-txbr]

The amount of effort to create these pillars alongside daily life suggests that there were communities living in structures that have not survived. They couldn't have each built a pillar based accommodation in order to have somewhere to stay overnight etc. Folks must have been hunting and gathering to support the stoneworkers, and they all had to live somewhere more easily constructed in 'real' time. Your explanation of how they extracted the pillar 'blanks' from the quarries was quite informative and well explained :-)

[TWOCOWS]

Thank you for continuing to record and show the new Mirazan sites (the original, local local name for the recent official government name). Mirazan means a "miracle maker". The local, childless Kurdish women give offerings at the hill, hoping for a child. The fertility myth of the hills still lingers. Mirazan is the meaningful, local name for this entire super old civilization/culture. A lot better than the silly name of Gobekli ("potbelly"), or Karahan ("black tribal chief", instead of the meaningful local name of Sederi, ”three gates”)-- given to it by the ruling government there . I hope you continue showing us more and more of the Mirazan sites as they get dug up. The name for the entire culture that created these wonderful structures around 12000 years ago is the MIRAZAN CULTURE. Then the local native names should used for individual hills and sites.

[dougalexander]

The way you describe the quarry characteristics and work method, we can say, “well, of course’.” Thank you, Matt.

[lingerslongest]

Wow, that's the first time I've seen images of the quarry !

[anthonyhettman]

I’ve been a viewer since you had less than 50, 000 people watching I’ve learned so much about sites are already knew about and sites that I never seen before. Thank you for not being opinionated and just giving the facts.

[kristybarker]

Everytime I see these amazing objects I'm amazed.

[ellen]

I think the diagrams explain it very well! And it's interesting about how they may have moved them. I've always thought it could have been the same way the monuments on Easter Island were moved into place. With ropes and several people moving them back and forth to "walk" them into place, it's less likely to break them than if they used rollers, because of the shape. Especially if they were moving them while the stone had soaked up water. I've never seen them in person, so just guessing, but it seems to make sense.

[rippyfreedom]

Excellent !!! Such a deep dive is appreciated ❤

[tinkeringinthailand]

Great stuff Matt. I have always been a big fan of ancient Egypt, but thanks to you I'm getting to understand alternative civilizations. Thanks.

[joearchuleta]

Thanks for sharing Matt!!! I hope you feel better soon and have a great weekend!!!

[Hiddensecret]

The construction of Göbekli Tepe's pillars showcases the ingenuity and collaborative effort of early human societies, reflecting their complex social structures and cultural expressions long before the advent of metal tools or the wheel.

[lostpony]

It's awesome how the flat style is a result of the stones layering. I can see how a building site might present its own pillars you just stand them up right there and use the waste materials to make the tarasso and perimeter walls etc.

[ajofmars]

Howdy from Wyoming! My Mother and I were talking on the airplane a couple months ago, and she likes the movies Troy and 10, 000 BC, so she was asking me what humans were actually doing 10, 000 years ago, and I was proud to tell her all about Göbekli Tepe, thanks mostly to you! And that King Tutankhamun was approximately contemporary with the Trojan war. And the mystery and debate around the Bronze Age Collapse. I’m obsessed with ancient megalithic architecture, and these small details analyzed tell so much more than most people realize. Thank you for your dedication! I have to shout out History for Granite as well. Best of luck, and stay well out there folks!

P.S. Have you done any experiments with water on the scale model you had made of Karahan Tepe? Thought of that model watching this video.

[laurafolsom]

Love the museum so you can walk around them.

[Eyes_Open]

It is great how the museum has a scaled recreation.

[MrSCOTTtheSCOT]

Another brilliant insightfull well put together video. Thank you for your prodcutions.