Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Göbekli Tepe experienced significantly different environmental conditions during its occupation compared to today. Research indicates that the site was surrounded by denser vegetation and widespread sediment cover, contrasting with the current arid landscape. The study employed literature review, remote sensing data, terrain modeling, and field-based geomorphological mapping to analyze Late Quaternary geomorphodynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean region. These findings suggest that humans at Göbekli Tepe may have perceived a lush, sediment-rich environment, which could inform narratives about their landscape creation motives. The research also proposes hypotheses for future studies on environmental changes during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Knitter, D., Braun, R., Clare, L., Nykamp, M., & Schütt, B. (2019). Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Land, 8(4), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/land8040072