Shaping Gods: from Göbekli Tepe to Kaneš, Ḫattuša, and Beyond

Archaeological evidence from Göbekli Tepe, Nevali Çori, Çatal Höyük, Kaneš, and Hittite texts reveals a profound continuity in the representation of deities across millennia. At Göbekli Tepe, monolithic pillars adorned with stylized humans and animals depict an animist cosmos where animals and plants personify divine beings. This concept evolves at Çatal Höyük, where specific animals—like the bull (Storm-god) and stag (god of wild fauna)—and female figurines symbolize deities that persist into Classical antiquity. In Egypt, zoomorphic representations of gods maintain continuity until Christian influence disrupts this tradition. Hittite texts from Kaneš further document this pattern, detailing rituals where deities are invoked through shared communion with bread and wine, reinforcing the syncretism observed across cultures.

Archi, A. (2023). Shaping Gods: from Göbekli Tepe to Kaneš, Ḫattuša, and Beyond. Theonyms, Panthea and Syncretisms in Hittite Anatolia and Northern Syria, 29–56. https://doi.org/10.36253/979-12-215-0109-4.07