Türkiye announces new Neolithic-era findings from major archaeology project

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows a view of Karahantepe archaeological site in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

ANKARA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday.

During a briefing at the Karahantepe Visitor Center in southern Sanliurfa province, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said a human sculpture, which is believed to have been placed as a votive offering, was unearthed at the Gobeklitepe site. He described it as a highly aesthetic and striking example of Neolithic sculptural style.

Ersoy also presented two human-face reliefs uncovered during the 2025 excavation season at the Sefertepe archaeological site.

He said the artworks carry an aesthetic distinct from styles previously observed in Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe and Sayburc archaeological sites.

Ersoy added that a double-faced human motif carved into a black serpentine bead found at Sefertepe represents another important discovery that sheds light on the symbolic world of the region.

Ersoy said the findings indicate that densely populated settlements of various scales existed in the area 12,000 years ago.

The Tas Tepeler project comprises a group of Neolithic archaeological sites near the city of Sanliurfa in southeastern Trkiye.

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows new Neolithic-era findings at the Tas Tepeler project in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announces new Neolithic-era findings from the Tas Tepeler project in Sanliurfa, Trkiye, Nov. 26, 2025. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows a view of Karahantepe archaeological site in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows new Neolithic-era findings at the Tas Tepeler project in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows new Neolithic-era findings at the Tas Tepeler project in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows new Neolithic-era findings at the Tas Tepeler project in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Photo taken on Nov. 26, 2025, shows a view of Karahantepe archaeological site in Sanliurfa, Trkiye. Trkiye has unveiled new discoveries at Tas Tepeler, one of the country's largest archaeology projects shedding light on the Neolithic era, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)