Ancient buildings made of stone. The main mystical buildings of the ancient world (8 photos)
A journey through the most ancient cities on the planet will help you touch the origins of civilization. By visiting some of them during your summer vacation, you can not only have a good rest, but also learn a lot of interesting information.
1. Maltese Megalithic Temples, Malta
Maltese temples are the oldest man-made structures on the ground. Scientific research has proven that temples were built a thousand years before the construction of the Egyptian pyramids. Scientists cannot understand how people at that time could build such structures without the use of special equipment. After all, many monolithic stone slabs from which temples were built weigh more than fifty tons. There is indirect evidence that giant people lived in Malta at that time, and it was not difficult for them to move multi-ton monoliths. There is no answer to the question what kind of civilization existed in this territory, and where did the builders of stone temples go. After all, nowhere else on Earth were found similar buildings. Unfortunately, numerous wars and civil strife that took place on the Maltese territory destroyed the ancient buildings to a greater or lesser extent, but many of them survived and are available for tourists to visit. UNESCO took prehistoric temples under its protection and listed them world heritage. Today they are open to tourists.
2. Sardinian ziggurat, Sardinia
The Sardinian ziggurat was built over five and a half thousand years ago and was an important religious center. During the Second World War, the ziggurat was thoroughly destroyed, as a line of defense passed through this place. But starting in 1954, the Sardinian ziggurat began to be restored and restored. Currently, the prehistoric complex hosts numerous groups of tourists from all over the world.
3. Newgrange, Ireland
Newgrange is one of Ireland's landmarks. The oldest building was erected between 3100 and 2900 BC. Newgrange is a megalithic structure, multi-ton stone slabs were used as building material. The plates were interconnected without the use of a special solution. The structure is thirteen meters high and eighty-five meters in diameter. Scientists suggest that it was used as a calendar, since the structure is strictly oriented to the cardinal points. Perhaps, with the help of this structure, the time of sowing and harvesting was determined. Newgrange is located near the Boyne River.
4Hulbjerg Jættestue, Denmark
The building was built over five thousand years ago and was used as a tomb. Scientists archaeologists found the remains of four hundred people in the tomb. The teeth of one of the buried people had traces of healing. The level of ancient dentistry amazed scientists. Without metal instruments, the doctor managed to put a dental filling of a sufficiently high quality.
5. Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt
The oldest in Egypt was built in 2650 BC. The author of the pyramid, Imhotep, erected it for Pharaoh Djoser as a tomb. The pyramid has a stepped shape, for this reason in the circles of scientific archaeologists it is also called the Step Pyramid. The pyramid is very popular among tourists because of its venerable age and unusual shape.
6. Caral, Peru
Karal is a city that existed more than five thousand years ago, it is considered the oldest urban settlement in the American continent. The city arose approximately at the same time as other first world civilizations. Scientists hope to find answers to questions about the emergence of the first civilizations in the city. Currently, seventeen pyramids have been cleared of sand and are available for tourists to visit. The reasons for the disappearance of Caral have not yet been established, it is assumed that people left the city in 1600 BC and moved to other more favorable areas of Peru.
7. Treasury of Atreus, Greece
The tomb is located in Mycenae, its estimated age is three thousand two hundred years. The famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann made a great contribution to the scientific research of the tomb. During the excavations, it was found that all the domed tombs, and there were nine of them, were completely looted, but the earlier tombs, erected in the sixteenth century BC, remained intact. Archaeologists discovered the richest burials, the faces of all the people buried in the tomb were covered with masks made of gold. The robes of the buried were also decorated with gold. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the bodies of once-reigning dynasties rest in these tombs.
We fly into space, race to build skyscrapers, clone living organisms and do a lot of things that until recently seemed impossible. And at the same time, they are still unable to unravel the mysteries of the builders and thinkers who lived millennia ago. An ancient cobblestone weighing a hundred tons surprises us more than a computer the size of half a palm.
Goseck Circle, Germany, Goseck
A ring system of concentric ditches and wooden fences was created between 5000 and 4800 BC. Now the complex is reconstructed. Presumably, it was used as a solar calendar.
Statues of "reptilians", French polynesia, Nuku Hiva island
Statues in a place called Temehea-Tohua in the Marquesas Islands depict strange creatures, the appearance of which in the mass consciousness is associated with aliens. They are different: there are large large-mouthed "reptilians", and there are others: with small bodies and disproportionately large elongated helmet-heads with huge eyes. They have one thing in common - an evil expression on their faces. Whether they were aliens from other worlds or just masked priests is unknown. The statues date from around the beginning of the 2nd millennium.
Stonehenge, UK, Salisbury
Altar, observatory, tomb, calendar? Scientists have not come to a consensus. Five thousand years ago, a ring ditch and ramparts around it with a diameter of 115 m appeared. A few centuries later, ancient builders brought here 80 four-ton stones, and a couple of centuries later - 30 megaliths weighing 25 tons. The stones were set in a circle and in the form of a horseshoe. The form in which Stonehenge has survived to this day is largely the result of human activity in recent centuries. People continued to work on the stones: the peasants chipped off pieces of amulets from them, the tourists marked the territory with inscriptions, and the restorers figured out for the ancients how they had it right.
Pyramid of Kukulkan, Mexico, Chichen Itza
Every year, on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, thousands of tourists gather at the foot of the sanctuary of the supreme Mayan deity - the Feathered Serpent. They observe the miracle of the "appearance" of Kukulkan: the Serpent moves down along the balustrade of the main staircase. The illusion is created by the play of triangular shadows cast by the nine platforms of the pyramid at the moment when the setting sun illuminates its northwestern corner for 10 minutes. If the sanctuary had been displaced even by a degree, none of this would have happened.
Karnak stones, France, Brittany, Karnak
In total, about 4,000 megaliths up to four meters high are arranged in slender alleys near the city of Karnak. The rows run parallel to each other or diverge like a fan, in some places they form circles. The complex dates back to the 5th-4th millennium BC. There were legends in Brittany that it was the wizard Merlin who made the ranks of Roman legionnaires turn to stone.
Stone balls, Costa Rica
Pre-Columbian artifacts scattered close up pacific coast Costa Rica, were discovered in the 1930s by banana plantation workers. Hoping to find gold inside, the vandals destroyed many balls. Now most of the rest are kept in museums. The diameter of some stones reaches 2.5 meters, weight - 15 tons. Their purpose is unknown.
Georgia Guidestones, USA, Georgia, Elbert
In 1979, someone under the pseudonym R.C. Christian ordered a construction company to manufacture and install a monument - a structure of six granite monoliths with a total weight of more than 100 tons. On the four side plates are engraved ten commandments to descendants in eight languages, including Russian. The last paragraph reads: "Do not be a cancer for the Earth, leave a place for nature too!"
Nuraghi Sardinia, Italy, Sardinia
Semi-conical structures resembling huge beehives (up to 20 m high) appeared in Sardinia at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, before the arrival of the Romans. The towers were built without a foundation, from stone blocks superimposed on each other, not fastened with any mortar and held only by their own weight. The purpose of the nuraghe is unclear. It is characteristic that archaeologists have repeatedly discovered miniature models of these towers made of bronze during excavations.
Saxahuaman, Peru, Cusco
The archaeological park at an altitude of 3700 meters and an area of 3000 hectares is located north of the capital of the Inca Empire. The defensive and at the same time temple complex was built at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. Zigzag crenellated walls, reaching 400 meters in length and six in height, are made of multi-ton stone blocks, including 200-ton ones. How the Incas installed these blocks, how they adjusted them one under the other, is unknown. From above, Saxahuaman looks like the toothy head of the puma Cuzco (the city was founded in the form of a sacred animal of the Incas).
Arkaim, Russia, Chelyabinsk region
The settlement of the Bronze Age (III-II millennium BC) is located on the same latitude as Stonehenge. Coincidence? Scientists don't know. Two rows of circular walls (the diameter of the far one is 170 m), a drainage system and a sewerage system, a well in every house are evidence of a highly developed culture. The monument was discovered by students and schoolchildren from an archaeological expedition in 1987. (In the photo - a model-reconstruction.)
Newgrange, Ireland, Dublin
The Celts called it Fairy Mound and considered it the home of one of their chief gods. A round structure made of stone, earth and rubble with a diameter of 85 meters was erected more than 5000 years ago. A corridor leads inside the mound, ending with a ritual chamber. On the days of the winter solstice, this chamber is brightly illuminated for 15–20 minutes by a ray of sun that enters the window above the tunnel entrance.
Coral Castle, USA, Florida, Homestead
The whimsical structure was single-handedly built in 28 years (1923-1951) by the Latvian immigrant Edward Lindskalnin in honor of lost love. How a man of modest height and build moved huge blocks in space remains a mystery.
Yonaguni pyramids, Japan, Ryukyu archipelago
Monuments of huge stone platforms and pillars located under water at a depth of 5 to 40 meters were discovered in 1986. The main of these structures has the form of a pyramid. Not far from it is a large platform with steps, similar to a stadium with spectator stands. One of the objects resembles a huge head, like the moai statues on Easter Island. IN scientific community there are disputes: many believe that the formations lying on the bottom of the ocean are of exclusively natural origin. But loners like Masaaki Kimura, a professor at Ryukyu University who has repeatedly dived to the ruins, insist that a person was involved.
Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Masvingo
One of the largest and oldest stone structures South Africa It was built from the 11th century, and in the 15th century it was abandoned for some unknown reason. All structures (up to 11 meters in height and 250 in length) were built using the dry masonry method. Presumably, up to 18,000 people lived in the settlement.
Delhi Column, India, New Delhi
Iron column over 7 meters high and weighing over 6 tons - part architectural complex Qutub Minar. It was cast in honor of King Chandragupta II in 415. For unclear reasons, the column, which is almost 100% iron, is virtually indestructible. Scientists are trying to explain this fact by various reasons: the special skill and technology of ancient Indian blacksmiths, dry air and specific climatic conditions in the Delhi region, the formation of a protective shell - in particular, as a result of the fact that the Hindus anointed the sacred monument with oils and incense. Ufologists, as usual, see in the column another proof of the intervention of extraterrestrial intelligence. But the secret of "stainless steel" has not yet been unraveled.
Nazca Lines, Peru, Nazca Plateau
A 47-meter spider, a 93-meter hummingbird, a 134-meter eagle, a lizard, an alligator, a snake, other zoomorphic and humanoid creatures ... Giant bird's-eye images seem to be scratched into the devoid of vegetation rock, and as if with one hand, in the same style. In fact, these are furrows up to 50 cm deep and up to 135 cm wide, made in different time in the 5th-7th centuries.
Nabta Observatory, Nubia, Sahara
In the sands next to dry lake is the oldest archaeoastronomical monument on the planet, 1000 years older than Stonehenge. The location of the megaliths allows you to determine the day of the summer solstice. Archaeologists believe that people lived here seasonally, when there was water in the lake, so they needed a calendar.
Antikythera mechanism, Greece, Antikythera
A mechanical device with dials, hands and gears at the beginning of the 20th century was found on a sunken ship sailing from Rhodes (100 BC). After lengthy research and reconstruction, scientists found that the device served astronomical purposes - it made it possible to monitor the movement of celestial bodies and make very complex calculations.
Baalbek Plates, Lebanon
Rimsky temple complex belong to the I-II century AD. But the Romans did not build sanctuaries in an empty place. At the base of the temple of Jupiter lie more ancient slabs weighing 300 tons. The western retaining wall is made up of a series of "trilithons" - three limestone blocks, each more than 19 m long, 4 m high and weighing about 800 tons. Roman technology was not able to lift such a weight. By the way, not far from the complex for more than one thousand years there is another block - under 1000 tons.
Göbekli Tepe, Türkiye
The complex on the Armenian Highlands is considered the oldest of the largest megalithic structures (approximately X-IX millennium BC). At that time, people were still engaged in hunting and gathering, but someone was able to erect circles from huge steles with images of animals.
People began to build from stone in time immemorial, which is quite understandable: nature itself gave this building material to mankind! Today we admire the monumental creations of bygone generations: we admire stone castles and residences, mysterious temples and tombs, do not mind going to distant lands to take a selfie against the backdrop of some ancient miracle. The Geomaster company has compiled its own rating of buildings that cannot but impress.
1. The Great Pyramids at Giza.
The three main pyramids (Cheops, Mykerin and Khafre), guarded by the Great Sphinx, are only part of a huge necropolis located on a desert plateau near Cairo. Monuments are surrounded not only by attention from tourists, but also by numerous mysteries. For example, how did people manage to build such gigantic objects without modern technical devices? The construction of the pyramid of Cheops alone took 2.5 million stone blocks, most of which weigh about 2.5 tons. every .
2. Machu Picchu
L a legendary city nestled in the heart of the Andes, at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. The settlement of the Inca civilization, founded in the middle of the 15th century, like Egyptian pyramids keeps many secrets. One of them is the sudden disappearance of all the inhabitants in 1532. Centuries later, we admire the clear layout of the city, which contained palace buildings, temples, storage facilities and other common facilities. The buildings are made of carefully processed stone, slabs closely fitted to each other. And the Inca builders knew a lot about terracing.
3. Stonehenge
Located 130 kilometers from London, Stonehenge is an ideal composition from a geometric point of view. In this connection, the researchers believe that the place was not only a platform for performing rituals, but could also serve as an ancient observatory and calendar. The monument is a complex of ring and horseshoe-shaped stone and earth structures. The largest blocks of Stonehenge weigh up to 50 tons each.
4. stone circles Gobekli Tepe
The "bellied hill" (this is how the name Gobekli Tepe is translated from Turkish) is the oldest of the large megalithic buildings peace. Its age is 12 millennia. Temples in the form of circles located at the top mountain range in the southeast of Turkey, built from polished and densely packed stones. The diameter of the circles is 30 m, inside each there is a T-shaped stone sculpture with drawings of animals and birds carved on it.
5. Newgrange Mound
The majestic mound, 11 meters high and reaching 85 meters in diameter, is located in Ireland. The age of the monument is 5000 years. The walls of the object are made of large quartz, the roof is earthen. Having required some reconstruction work on the outside, the mound is perfectly preserved inside. The only entrance leads to a room with large monoliths, an altar and walls decorated with patterns of rings and spirals. Newgrange is famous for the fact that during the winter solstice, the dawn rays of the sun pass into the inner room through a narrow gap. The builders calculated everything to the millimeter: the beam falls directly on the altar, and then illuminates wall niches.
6. Megalithic temples Malta
One of the favorite holiday destinations for tourists has long been known as an area of concentration of world heritage monuments. In Malta, 23 sanctuaries built from local limestone have been discovered. Best save There were Hagar Kvim, Jgantia, Tarshien and Mnaidra. Over this splendor withtroitel began to work in the Maltese archipelago 7000 years ago and worked They conscience. The ancient temples would have come down to us in a better condition if the peasants had not subsequently dismantled them “pebble-by-pebble” for agricultural needs.
7. Treasury of Atreus
The Treasury of Atreus (aka the Tomb of Agamemenon) is a beehive-type domed tomb, located in Greek Mycenae. The building was built from big stones without the use of mortar. Presumably, the tomb was used for the burial of King Atreus or his successors. The Greeks believed that the tomb contained countless treasures of the rulers, which is why it began to be called the treasury. It is not known what riches there were in reality, since the place was plundered in ancient times.
Build with stone - build for centuries!
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Hello 🙂
Every day, walking around the center of St. Petersburg, I pay attention to the sights of our city, which, of course, are familiar to everyone:
Saint Isaac's Cathedral,
Alexandria Pillar,
marble castle,
Engineering Castle.
All of them were built a very long time ago, they cannot yet be classified as the oldest buildings, but a lot of time has passed, but they have not lost their attractiveness and beauty.
At the same time, if you just go deeper into the city, you can see buildings that can be called the most ancient buildings in appearance, although they were built several decades ago.
You can even not go far, every day, almost everywhere you can hear about dilapidated housing. It happens even when buying an apartment in a new house, the very next year flaws appear, because of which it is simply dangerous for life to be in these apartments.
I was wondering what the oldest buildings in the world?
The oldest buildings in the world
First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Alexander (his blog), the reader of my "".
It was discovered in 1975; bronze bracelets and ceramic buttons were found in it.
Currently, it has been completely restored and is open to the public. This is one of the symbols and main attractions of the city of Menorca.
The most ancient buildings - 8th place!
Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon, built in ancient city Mycenae (Greece) during bronze age about 1250 years BC, which is more than 3250 years ago and takes the 8th place in the ranking of the most ancient buildings in the world.
The Treasury of Atreus, due to its grandeur and monumental form, is one of the most impressive monuments preserved from Mycenaean Greece. For example, the lintels over the aisles weigh more than 120 tons!!!
The most ancient buildings - 7th place!
The city of Coral was inhabited approximately between 2600 BC. and 2000 BC. is more than 4600 years ago. And on its territory of 60 hectares there are 19 pyramids.
The most interesting thing is that during the archaeological excavations were found - necklace beads, musical instruments and much more, but there were absolutely no weapons. This means that this one of the most ancient cities was peaceful and most likely its inhabitants were engaged in trade.
The most ancient buildings - 6th place!
The Pyramid of Djoser in Egypt is the oldest stone building in the world.
It was erected before 3000 BC. - this is more than 4700 years ago and consisted of six steps located on top of each other. The total height of the pyramid of Djoser is 62 meters.
The most ancient buildings - 5th place!
And again the mound. On line 5 of the top 10 ancient buildings in the world, I placed the Hulbjerg barrow, located on the southern tip of Langeland Island.
The most interesting thing is that Hulbjerg Tomb was built 5000 years ago. At the same time, it is completely assembled from 13 stone blocks precisely fitted to each other.
The most ancient buildings - 4th place!
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument under the protection of UNESCO and is located in County Meath, in the eastern part of Ireland, about one kilometer north of the River Boyne.
It was built around 3200 BC - that's over 5,100 years ago.
Today, Newgrange is a popular tourist attraction.
The walls of the passages are made up of large stone slabs, twenty-two of which are on the western side and twenty-one on the east. The height of the stone sides is on average about 1.5 meters in height; decorates many blocks.
The most ancient buildings - 3rd place!
With each line we are getting closer and closer to the first place. And we go deeper and deeper into history.
Monte d'Accoddi was built in the north of Sardinia, between Sassari and Porto Torres around 2700 - 2000 BC - that's about 5,200 years old.
The oldest buildings - 2nd place!
Knap of Howar - on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney (Scotland) approximately 5500 years ago in the period from 3700-2800 years. BC. a manor was built - This is the oldest stone house in Northern Europe.
The walls of the Knap of Howar are still standing and support a 1.6 m high cornice, and the stone furniture has also been preserved, which gives a vivid picture of life in this house. Fireplaces, beds, shelving were found almost intact. Just imagine - more than 5000 years have passed, and they are intact!
The most ancient buildings - 1st place!
Here, in fact, we got to the very ancient building our rating.
And rightfully occupied by the Megalithic Temples of Malta, a series of prehistoric monuments in Malta, seven of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Surprisingly, they were built (just think about it!!) more than 5.5 thousand years ago.
Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in the process of cultural evolution. The temples were erected between 3600-3000 BC. BC, which were fully operational and in use until 2500 BC.
Perhaps you can suggest your options in the comments?
September 12th, 2014
The sensational discovery of a German archaeologist in Anatolia allows us to take a fresh look at the ancient history of human civilization. On a mountain slope in southeastern Turkey, near the Syrian border, an expedition led by Klaus Schmidt unearthed a magnificent ancient temple, which is 12 thousand years old.
The oldest found to date places of worship Göbekli Tepe, built in the early Neolithic era, was discovered in the middle of the 20th century. However, scientists became interested in this cultural monument only after massive stone walls and T-shaped columns covered with drawings were found in the 1990s.
It is assumed that total number temples in Göbekli Tepe should reach 20. Each of the buildings probably marked the ascent of Sirius in the sky at different times.
The star Sirius first appeared in the earth's sky about 11,300 thousand years ago. In terms of brightness, it ranks fourth right after the Moon, Venus and Jupiter, so it certainly made an indelible impression on the person of the early Neolithic era.
Let's explore it in more detail...
Photo 2. 
Klaus Schmidt Privatdozent at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin, studies ancient history humanity. When in 1994 Schmidt began excavations at Gobekli Tepe, he was sure that these excavations would become the main business of his life. The archaeological complex in this area can be compared with Stonehenge in England, with the only difference being that the ruins in Anatolia are 6,000 years older.
As a child, Klaus Schmidt did not crawl out of the caves in his native Germany, hoping to find prehistoric drawings there. Thirty years later, already representing the German Archaeological Institute, he discovered something infinitely more important - a temple complex almost twice as old as all similar structures on the planet.
Photo 3. 
“This place is a supernova,” says Schmidt, standing under a lone tree on a windswept hill 55km north of Turkey's border with Syria. “Already in the first minute after its discovery, I knew that I had two ways: either to leave here without saying a word to anyone, or to spend the rest of my life here, on these excavations.”
Photo 4. 
Behind him, the first bends of the Anatolian plateau open up. Ahead, hundreds of miles to Baghdad and further south, the Mesopotamian Plain stretches like a dust-colored sea. Directly ahead, hidden behind a ledge of a hill, are the stone circles of Gobekli Tepe. In those days, when people did not yet build permanent dwellings for themselves, did not know how to make the simplest clay bowl, earned their livelihood by hunting and gathering, the inhabitants of South-Eastern Anatolia erected a monumental sanctuary for their gods.
Photo 5. 
Compared to Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric monument in the UK, they are not impressive in scale. None of the excavated round structures (and there are this moment there are four out of twenty) does not exceed 30 meters in diameter. What makes these finds completely unique is the images of wild boars, foxes, lions, birds, snakes and scorpions carved on them, as well as the age of the finds themselves. They were created in 9.5 thousand years BC. They are 5.5 thousand years old older than the first cities of Mesopotamia and for 7 thousand years - Stonehenge.
Photo 6. 
In Gobekli Tepe, archaeologists discovered on a hill a giant complex of round buildings and stone pillars with carved reliefs. Currently, only a small part of the buildings has been excavated, but if we take into account the age of the ruins, it immediately becomes clear that this is a unique archaeological site.
Photo 7. 
The ancient ruins of Nevali-Keri, which since 1992 have been at the bottom of the Ataturk reservoir, are almost as old as Gobekli-Tepe, their age is 10,500 years. But the pillars are much smaller there, and the decoration is more modest. Gobekli Tepe can compete with the temples in the age of Jericho, but there are no large sculptures, no architectural decorations. All other ancient archaeological sites belong to a different era - they arose about 2 thousand years later. The people who created these rounded monuments and stone bas-reliefs, the whole complex, did not even have pottery and did not grow cereals. They lived in settlements. But they were hunters, not farmers.
Photo 8. 
Judging by the age of the Gobekli Tepe complex, it was in this area that hunters and gatherers switched to a settled way of life. In Gobekli Tepe, first of all, the intellectual abilities of the people of the Stone Age, their diligence and knowledge of the construction business are striking. But until now, scientists were sure that the implementation of such gigantic projects as the construction of the temple, involves a settled way of life and a high degree of organization.
“It has always been assumed that only complex societies with a hierarchical structure could build such monumental structures, and that they appeared only with the advent of tillage,” says Stanford University anthropology professor Ian Hodder, who has led the excavation since 1993. in Çatal Hoyuk, the most famous of the Neolithic settlements in Turkey. – Gobekli turned all ideas around. This is a complex structure and belongs to the era before the dawn of agriculture. This fact alone puts it among the most important archaeological finds over a very long period of time.”
Photo 9. 
Place archaeological sites in Gobekli Tepe was first surveyed in 1963. However, then archaeologists underestimated its importance, and for a long time they did not work there at all. On the hill, in the thickness of which the temple complex is located, there was a field of oats. The peasants continually removed bulky stones that interfered with them from the fields, so that the upper part of the temple was destroyed before scientists examined it.
According to the excavated sites, it can be concluded that people stayed here for a very long time. Near the round building of the sanctuary, several smaller buildings were found, in which, apparently, some kind of ritual meetings took place. But in all these buildings there is not the slightest sign of human habitation.
Excavations have been going on for ten years now. As a result, only a small part has been cleared so far, but the purpose of Gobekli Tepe for the people who built it remains unclear. Some believe that this place was intended for fertility rituals, and the two tall stones in the center of each circle symbolize a man and a woman.
Photo 10. 
But Schmidt is skeptical about fertility theory. He shares the opinion that Gobekli Tepe could be "the last heyday of a semi-nomadic society, which was about to be destroyed by the coming era of agriculture." He points out that if today this place has survived in almost perfect condition, it is only because its builders soon buried their creation under tons of earth, as if their world rich in wild animals had lost all its significance.
“From my point of view, the people who carved them were asking the greatest questions of all,” the scientist continues. - What is the universe? Why are we here? But there are no symbols of fertility found at other Neolithic excavations, and the T-shaped pillars, while obviously semi-human, are asexual. “I think this is where we come across some of the earliest depictions of the gods,” says Schmidt, stroking one of the largest boulders with his hand. “They have no eyes, no mouths, no faces. But they have hands and they have palms. These are the creators."
Photo 11. 
Perhaps the most interesting thing in Gobekli Tepe is its last days. The buildings are undoubtedly filled up, and this explains their good preservation. All ancient religious buildings were simply abandoned, abandoned, but the temple on the Anatolian hill was literally buried in the ground. The massive building with monolithic giant pillars, covered with magnificent reliefs, is covered to the top with stones and soil, so that it literally disappeared underground.
Photo 12. 
Although archaeologists freed only part of Gobekli Tepe from under the embankment, one can already appreciate the unusually large size of the sanctuary. It consists of four different temples surrounded by a low stone wall. Particularly interesting are the T-shaped monoliths with partially preserved reliefs. They depict birds, gazelles, bulls in a very naturalistic way. Next to the image of a donkey and a snake, you can distinguish the head of a fox. There are even spiders and a voluminous wild boar with a scowling, blunt muzzle.
What the builders of the temple gave great importance world of animals, in itself is not surprising. But they depicted wild animals, and this confirms the assumption that the creators of the sanctuary were not settled farmers. Another thing is also interesting: in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe, all kinds of wild-growing cereals are presented, which were later cultivated as grain crops.
Photo 13. 
Perhaps Gobekli Tepe is the missing link in the chain - the connecting element between the primitive nomadic hunter-gatherers and settled farmers. Production of monolithic stone pillars with reliefs requires certain professional skills - this requires masons. This means that other people supplied the stonemasons with everything necessary for life, that is, they had a society based on the division of labor.
Photo 14. 
There are pictograms on some of the pillars. Some archaeologists speculate that these icons may have influenced sign systems that developed at a later time, but it is difficult to see if there is a connection between the two. Hieroglyphs were common not in neighboring Mesopotamia, but in Ancient Egypt, that is, far from Gobekli Tepe. In addition, the time interval between Ancient Egypt and the culture of Gobekli Tepe is very large.
Photo 15. 
The end of the sanctuary of Gobekli-Tepe fell at the beginning of the VIII millennium BC. At this time, agriculture spread in neighboring Mesopotamia. The soil in the vicinity of Gobekli Tepe is poor, perhaps for this reason the sanctuary has lost its significance. The most important centers were formed much to the south, on fertile plains, in river valleys. At least this can partly explain why people left the temple, where for hundreds of years their ancestors worshiped the gods. They covered the sanctuary with stones and left forever.
The lessons of Gobekli Tepe encourage us to reconsider the idea of the so-called Neolithic revolution. Until now, historians thought that the transition of nomadic tribes to a settled way of life created the prerequisites for the construction of large urban centers and huge temples. But the experience of Gobekli Tepe proves that, in all likelihood, it was just the opposite: the very existence of a grandiose sanctuary, where the main rituals took place, encouraged people not to move away from it, but to stay close to the holy place and arrange permanent dwellings for themselves. So, at first there was still a temple, and then a house, a village and a city.
Photo 16. 
The mystery of Göbekli Tepe is no less amazing than the secrets of the pyramids, but much older. Scientists can only assume that it was a ritual structure, but it is not known for certain what made the ancient people come together and build such a truly colossal building.
A variety of assumptions appear among researchers and enthusiasts: from the mundane to the incredible. Some believe that Gobekli Tepe was not a temple, but only a place where people lived, while others put forward ideas about intervention alien races in the history of the Earth and the construction of this complex by aliens. There are opinions that Göbekli Tepe was the Garden of Eden or the prototype of Noah's Ark.
RUSSIAN HISTORIAN GENNADY KLIMOV CONSIDERS that Gobekli Tepe and similar buildings on the territory of Russia were erected by the same race. He confirms his theory by the fact that in the 9th millennium BC. there was no Black Sea yet, and the way from the Russian glacial steppes to these regions was free.
We are accustomed to the idea that agriculture first appeared, and then settlements, but Göbekli Tepe globally changes our understanding of ancient people in this matter as well. Scientists have found that for the construction of such a monumental structure, it was necessary to gather at least 500 people at the same time. That is, all these people lived together.
Photo 17. 
Scientists suggest that it was the construction of this temple that played an important role in the process of transition to agriculture, and hence to the birth of civilization in the usual way for us. As soon as the ancient people got together, began to live in one place, it became difficult to feed so many workers and pilgrims. And perhaps this is what prompted them to domesticate wild plants and animals.
All conclusions regarding the temple complex of Göbekli Tepe are preliminary, since excavations are carried out only on 5% of its territory. Archaeologists believe that research will continue for about 50 years. The dating of the studied part refers the end of layer III to the 9th millennium BC. e., and its beginning - by the XI millennium BC. e. or earlier. Layer II refers to the VIII-IX millennium BC. e.
Photo 18. 
Since the complex appeared before the Neolithic revolution, the origin of agriculture and cattle breeding in this region should, apparently, be attributed to the era after the 9th millennium BC. e. At the same time, the building grand structure required the efforts of a large number of people and a certain social organization. This is not typical for the Mesolithic. According to rough estimates, for the manufacture and delivery of columns weighing 10-20 tons from the quarry to the building, which are separated by up to 500 m, in the absence of draft animals, efforts of up to 500 people were required.
In fact, some columns weigh up to 50 tons, so even more people were needed. It is even suggested that slave labor was used in such work, which is also uncharacteristic of hunter-gatherer communities. Such works required planned efforts and a social hierarchy in which many people were subordinate to one religious or military leader, and the religious leader then had to control the performance of the rituals. In this case, the very existence of the temple complex in such a distant historical era testifies to social stratification at a very early stage in the development of Neolithic culture.
